FFVIII Amazing Race Unedited Version
by Sacred2001
Summary: Five teams remain in a grueling globetrotting race, outdoing each other in any way. Who's next to face elimination and win the ultimate reward? Based on a hit reality series with FFVIII antics.
1. The Race Begins

The Race Begins  
  
---------------  
  
Three armored jeeps rustled through the forests of Balamb continent. The jeeps arrived at the clearing where three couples surfaced from their transport. Daniel and Rachel, the 'Trepies', was the first couple to come out from the jeep, followed by Jack and King, group CC and Nida and Shelley, the ship-steerers. The next jeep contained Fujin and Raijin, the discipline committee, Xu and Quistis, the instructors, and Dr. Kadowaki and Matron, the old ladies. The next jeep came out Zell and Irvine, the 'Gun and Punch Formation' team, Selphie and Seifer, team 'Fury' and Squall and Rinoa, the 'Lionheart Angels'.  
  
The nine teams circled on a platform and in the middle stood Cid Kramer, who was the host of the event.  
  
"There are eleven legs in this race where you will conduct a series of tasks and at the end of the race there is a pit stop. You'll be given a certain amount of money at the beginning of the race, which you'll use to spend for the next leg, except for airline tickets that you don't need to pay for, and so saving money is an advantage. There is one fast forward pass at each leg where you can skip all tasks when it's been claimed. However, a team can only use it once for the rest of the race. The last team to arrive at the pit stop will be eliminated from the race. Three of these legs are non-elimination points where no team will be eliminated. The first team to reach the finish line will win 1,000,000 gil.  
  
Across the clearing are your luggages and on top of them is a sealed envelope, which will inform you about your next task. After that the rest is up to you.   
  
The world is waiting." Squall tightened his grip on Rinoa's hand as the adrenaline pumped fiercely into his veins. Selphie wanted to hold Seifer's hand but was nastily refused.  
  
"I did not want to team up with up in the first place anyway," Seifer said. Selphie only looked up at him with innocent puppy eyes. Matron and Dr. Kadowaki were having a friendly chat.  
  
"I'm glad my hubby makes a good host, doesn't he," Matron commented.  
  
"Are you ready?" Cid shouted. The nine teams replied "yes" altogether.  
  
"Go!"  
  
The nine teams battled in a race to retrieve their clue firstly. Jack was the first person to reach his luggage. He swiftly picked up the red envelope and tore it open. A piece of paper written with information was unraveled.  
  
"King, hurry up!" Jack shouted at his partner who was still among the running group. King united with Jack and they read the clue together. Presently, the teams arrived at their stations.  
  
"Drive to Balamb Town and take the train to Timber. The first train will depart at 9.10 a.m. and the second will depart 40 minutes later. Hurry! Seats are on a first come first serve basis," Rachel read with enthusiasm.  
  
"BALAMB STATION! YOU DRIVE I NAVIGATE!" Fujin ordered Raijin. Raijin immediately powered the engine of their car.  
  
"Woohoo!! Timber, here we come!" Zell screamed as he hopped into the back seat of the car.   
  
***  
  
After a short while the forest starting rustling again, scaring away the animals which inhabited the canopies, as the cars rumbled and carved their way through the labyrinth of trees.  
  
"I think we should follow those red flags hanging on the trees to get out of the forest. It's written in the clue," Shelley advised Nida, who was driving and they were in the lead.  
  
"Anyone following us?" Nida asked. Shelley turned around. There were three other cars following them and she could clearly see the drivers, which were Squall, Xu and Daniel.  
  
"Squall, Instructor Xu and Daniel are hot on our trail," she informed.  
  
"Okay. No use losing them at this point."  
  
Two minutes apart from the leading pack were Dr. Kadowaki and Matron and Zell and Irvine.  
  
"Wanna make an alliance with the boys?" Dr. Kadowaki, who was the navigator, suggested.  
  
"Yeah sure. I think we're lost." Matron slowed down the car and signaled Zell and Irvine to stop. Irvine pressed the breaks and the car slowly trundled until it leveled the women's.  
  
"Got any problem, ladies?" Irvine asked.  
  
"We're kind of lost so can we team up to find our way out?" Matron asked, which was replied with a wink. Irvine pressed the accelerator and their car whizzed forward, followed by the women's. The both of them spotted the route markers and in no time both cars exited the forest and into the highway.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, Fujin and Raijin were having difficulties. Their radiator burned out and Raijin in panic crashed the car on the tree. A squirrel fell from the tree and landed on Fujin's face.  
  
"BAH!!! STUPID ANIMAL!!!" Fujin tried to fend off the critter, which was scratching her face. After the squirrel shyly scattered away from the car, Fujin showed her anger by slamming the door after she got off the wrecked vehicle.  
  
"RAIJIN, IDIOT! COME OUT!" Fujin screeched. Raijin pulled his body out of the car and tumbled on the dirt. Fujin then gave Raijin a kick on the abdomen.  
  
"It's not my fault hon. The car's a goner anywayz," Raijin said innocently. Soon after, Selphie and Seifer's car arrived at the scene.  
  
"Hey guys, what happened? Ooh, what a crash!" Selphie commented as she saw the duo's car sputtered a trail of white smoke towards the sky.  
  
"You fools, hop in," Seifer ordered, "You don't wanna win a million gil?"  
  
"There are seats for two more," Selphie added.   
  
Without hesitation, Fujin and Raijin hopped into their vehicle. In a distance,   
  
Jack and King were also having problems. Their vehicle was crowded with birds.  
  
"Jack, did you bring birdseeds with you again?" King reprimanded.  
  
"I'm sorry birdseed give me energy ya know. Crap, I think I touched some bird shit."  
  
"I'm gonna horn to scare the pests away."  
  
"No, you can't! The clue said..." Jack's warning was interrupted by the blaring sound of the car horn King produced. The birds were immediately chased away from inhabiting the car, but a worry carved Jack's face.  
  
"What you were about to say?" King said, while turning around to see Jack gaping with his eyes widened. King turned back to see a Catchapillar lunging towards the vehicle.  
  
***  
  
"Haha!" Daniel jeered at Nida and Shelley as they overtook their car on the highway. Leading them were Quistis and Xu. The Trepies were too afraid to overtake Quistis as they worship her as their idol. That is what being a Trepie is all about. After a few minutes they arrived at the blue ocean town of Balamb. The instructors were the first to arrive at the port, followed by the Trepies, the 'Ship-Steerers' and the 'Lionheart-Angels'. The four teams quickly exited the cars after they had parked them and made a mad dash to the train station. Three minutes later, the old ladies and team 'Punch and Gun Formation' arrived, then followed by Selphie and Seifer and Fujin and Raijin soon after.  
  
Squall and Rinoa were the first team to purchase the first ticket.  
  
"We rock Squall!" Rinoa cheered, jumping up and down. A blast of cool air-conditioning greeted them as they entered the first train's cabin.  
  
Nida was the next person of the queue to buy the tickets, but to his dismay the ticket girl shook her head and said 'no more' when he demanded tickets for the first train. Shelley was frustrated as Xu and Quistis and the Trepies entered the train.  
  
"I can't believe it!" Shelley exclaimed while pulling her hair in anger as Nida exited the queue with the second train tickets. "We were in the lead!"  
  
"Irony happens," Nida said coolly.  
  
"It's you who's being slow!" Shelley yelled at him with her eyes fixed on his line of sight. She mimicked Nida's voice as she continued, "We shouldn't drive   
  
faster than 50 miles per hour cos we'll be breaking traffic rules."  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin sat down at the nearby café with Seifer and Selphie after they have bought their tickets. Seifer, Fujin and Raijin were discussing strategy while Selphie pressed her nose on the glass wall peering at the wide blue sea.  
  
"Next time Raijin, I DRIVE YOU NAVIGATE!" Fujin screeched, banging her balled fist on the patio.  
  
"Ya know, I think our biggest threat is Squall while we can cheat to lead the others like we used to. I hate Squall when he spots our bag of tricks and this time it's payback time!" Seifer decreed.  
  
"Uh uh, no cheating cuz God's watching us," Raijin said dumbly. Seifer gave Raijin a knock on the head.  
  
"Then what God will do, strike lightning bolts at us?" Seifer sneered. Raijin nodded in apology.  
  
"Umm... what about Selphie? Will she try to sabotage our plans?" Raijin said.  
  
"Good question my man." The three started to near at each other, whispering.   
  
"I'll try to divert Selphie's attention from spotting our dirty tricks. But I need your help."   
  
Fujin looked at her watch. "10 MINUTES TO TRAIN'S DEPARTURE." Immediately, the three departed their seats. Seifer tapped on Selphie's shoulder but she was still lost in her admiration of the sea.  
  
"Why is the sea so blue?" Selphie thought. She was then dragged forcefully to the station with her eyes still stuck on the view of the ocean.  
  
The train hissed and screeched as it stopped at the platform in Balamb Station. Nida and Shelley, who were the first to be in the train, threw their bags on the floor and rested on the seats of the cabin.   
  
"Funny, I didn't see Jack and King at the station yet," Shelley said in wonder.  
  
"I hope they're not stranded in the forest or the highway. They're kinda fun when it comes to Triple Triad," Nida said. "I'm going out to check out the train."  
  
As Nida walked the corridor, Seifer, Fujin, Raijin and Selphie were at a distance. As they encountered, Seifer gave an unfriendly bump to Nida. Nida did not grudge and continued with the exploration. Seifer and Selphie entered their cabins first while Fujin and Raijin admitted into the adjoining cabin. Selphie jumped wildly as the intercom informed them about the soon to come departure.  
  
"I can't wait to look at the undersea the second time!" That gave Seifer a major headache. The ranting about her first SeeD adventure to Timber that Selphie brought into the cabin broke his lazy nap. In fact, Seifer's envy boiled, as he was still an undergraduate unlike Squall, Zell and Selphie.  
  
A minute was left until the train's departure and there was no sign of the CC group. Just before the train started to move, two people smothered in green slime entered the train, huffing and puffing. Many of the passengers were surprised and disgusted, while Nida on the other hand recognised them as Jack and King through the thick slime.   
  
"Glad that you two made it," Nida sighed of relief. He tried not to slap their slimy palms. "What happened?"  
  
"This guy here likes to disturb bugs," Jack pointed at King. The slime on his finger dripped on the floor.  
  
"Shut up, Jack-ass," King pushed Jack to their cabin soon after, leaving a trail of green slimy footprints, which was nauseating.  
  
***  
  
On the first train, the Trepies were sort of honored and lucky to be on the same train with their idol. They hounded Quistis to death by profusely asking to treat her to lunch, while Quistis profusely replied with different excuses such as "Sorry, I'm on a strict diet. I can't eat that... blah... eat this..." and hiding her face behind a magazine cover. Squall and Rinoa were admiring the undersea wonders from the window. As a matter of fact, Squall and Rinoa were about to be engaged soon and they sometimes joke on love and sex while watching the fishes swimming by.   
  
***  
  
On the second train, Selphie joined Zell, Irvine, Matron and Dr. Kadowaki for a game of charades after being chased away by Seifer for disturbing his sleep. Nida, Jack and King played Triple Triad. As always, King had the better hand and won the most cards. Seifer, Fujin and Raijin were chatting.  
  
"I don't get it. How on earth did you pair up with Selphie?" Raijin wondered.  
  
"Grr..." Seifer gritted his teeth, "It's because this Selphie doesn't have a teammate when she really, really wanted to join the race and she knew that I don't have a team mate too. So she just send in the entry with my name and fake signature on it. She also tapped into the school register and copied all my details for the signup."  
  
Fujin paused for a while, wondering about how on earth Selphie can be a professional forger while she looked like an immature and childish teenage girl at usual times. Everyone was hence lost in their thoughts, thinking of the tasks that will be encounter, and especially the thought of elimination. 


	2. Timber!

Timber!!  
  
--------  
  
It was 3.20 in the evening and the first train had arrived at the Eastern Timber Station. Quistis and Xu stepped down from the train and spotted a brown box with yellow stripes hanging on a pole right in front of the station. The three teams raced for the box. Quistis opened it first and pulled out an envelope.  
  
"Search for this person in this picture," the clue read, followed by a picture of a man standing in front of an arch.  
  
"Oh I know, I know!" Rinoa said in excitement, as she used to live in Timber,   
  
"This is taken at the Shopping District, the entrance arch!"  
  
"Shh, don't be so loud!" Squall said softly.  
  
"Hey Rinoa said we should be heading to the shopping district," Daniel and Rachel started running just after Rinoa spilled the beans.  
  
"Great job, honey," Squall teased nastily. Without hesitation, they jogged towards the nearby taxi stand.  
  
***  
  
The underwater scenery soon turned into a dark tunnel and then surfaced into the plains of Timber. From afar, Zell and Irvine could see the view of the terminal city enlarging. Dr. Kadowaki, Matron, Nida and Shelley slung their heavy backpacks over their shoulder and waited at the coach exit impatiently, while Seifer, Fujin and Raijin shook their legs at the lounge with Selphie glued to the window.  
  
"Timber is so much advanced now since I first came here," Selphie said thoughtfully.  
  
The train screeched and sparks were produced from the metal wheels as it braked at the eastern station. The teams flew out of the coach as the door flung open. Jack and King, who had just got rid the foul odoured Catchapillar slime from their body, were the fourth team to claim the clue.  
  
"Find this person in the picture. OK," King tucked the clue into his utility belt and the both of them headed for the taxi circling the nearby square.  
  
"Taxi!!" the both of them shouted, causing the taxi to halt beside them. The both of them budged into the tiny yellow cab. "Take us to this place, please!"   
  
Jack requested, waving the photo in front of the driver. The driver nodded and he taxi began to hum.   
  
Dr. Kadowaki and Matron, Zell and Irvine, Seifer and Selphie and Fujin and Raijin were waiting nervously at the taxi stand.  
  
"Oh my goodness. It has been ten minutes and not a single cab showed up!" Dr. Kadowaki exclaimed.  
  
"Hey where's the taxi?" Zell cried, punching in the air trying to clear his nervousness. Subsequently, a taxicab arrived at the stand.  
  
"Hey, wanna play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the taxi?" Selphie suggested. However, Zell, Seifer and Fujin started a commotion.  
  
"Hey cut it out," Dr. Kadowaki said, trying to break the fight.  
  
"Rock-paper-scissors!!" Selphie insisted, but the three people were still arguing.  
  
"Kadowaki, the cab's ours!" Matron yelled. Dr. Kadowaki then walked to the taxi immediately and squeezed her fat body into the taxi.  
  
"I feel sorry for them. We should've waited there to break the kids," Dr. Kadowaki sighed as the driver began to sound the accelerator. Consequently, the three people who were supposed to be quarreling were now rapping snidely at the taxi's window.  
  
"%&$&%^*% Matron I thought we're allies!" Zell yelled with a voice, which penetrated through the glass.   
  
Matron lowered the window. "Don't worry we'll try to arrange cabs for you all." Within minutes, the taxi sped off leaving the three teams disappointed.  
  
"Can we play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets the next cabbie?" Selphie said cheerfully. Only Irvine and Raijin stretched out their hands.  
  
***  
  
Among the tall skyscrapers of Timber lies one of the oldest monuments in Timber is the Timber Television Station. Not far from the building was a giant television screen, the station's most prized asset. Showing on the screen were mostly advertisements of beautiful women, sports cars and Galbadian propaganda. In studio ten of the station was a screen divided into nine sections. The top left section showed Squall and Rinoa fighting and quarreling in their cab heading for the route marker. And then the bottom screens showed Selphie, Irvine and Raijin playing rock-paper-scissors while Seifer jeered 'chicken-wuss' at Zell. And then on the middle screen a scene where Quistis throwing an apple at the Trepies' window who were beside theirs was shown.  
  
"Cheating, misunderstanding, desperation, agony, stress, fights, quarrels... This is what's all about that makes this program groundbreaking people," Alex Axel said confidently to the tens of reporters and journalists from around the world during the press conference of producing the new reality series.   
  
"Mr. Kramer," a reporter from an Estharian entertainment magazine company began, pointing his pen towards the unhappy looking Balamb Garden headmaster, "As host of the game show, do you think that viewers will dig in into it?"  
  
Cid Kramer rose up from his seat and cleared his throat. "As far as I'm concerned the trend of television viewing is watching people doing crazy and stupid things. This show has those elements, except that it provides a larger point of view not only of the relationship between team members and teams but also the places and cultures that many people might've never seen before. In short, this show is both suspensefully engaging and educational."  
  
Cid then turned to Mr. Axel who was smiling, answering more questions. "I gotta go to the pit stop to meet the last team to arrive," he whispered at Axel who just nodded. Cid quickly left the studio.  
  
***  
  
Quistis and Xu were the first team to arrive at the bustling and crowded streets of the shopping district. Quistis spotted the arch draped in a blue and yellow banner after she surfaced from the cab.  
  
"Xu, let's go!" she said to Xu who was arguing with the driver.  
  
"The last time I came here, a ten minute trip only cost 10 gil and now you're charging 20 times the amount of money!" Xu rebuked, but the driver was persistent enough to say "Drop the money or I'll call the cops" casually. In no time, the driver pulled out a gun from the glove compartment at pointed it at Xu.  
  
"You asked for it honey," Xu then lifted her leg from below and kicked the driver's hand and the fake gun dropped uselessly onto the floor. The driver staggered and took the 10-gil bill from Xu. Presently, Daniel and Rachel and Squall and Rinoa arrived at the street where Quistis and Xu were stuck.  
  
"Oh my god, the others are here!" Quistis exclaimed as she spotted the two cabs with the two recognizable teams in them. "We've just wasted a good deal of time Xu."  
  
"Yeah, coming out," Xu said as she surfaced from the car. At once, the three teams made a mad dash blasting through the sidewalks teeming with shoppers and music fans heading to Timber Stadium for a concert. Rinoa found the person they were supposed to look for, who was sitting on a bench and she asked for the clue politely.  
  
"Squally honey, I've got the clue!" Rinoa shouted at Squall who was drowning in a river of people. Rinoa ripped the envelope and read, "Book for a mystery charter bus ride at Timber Hotel." Rinoa spun around to look for Squall. She only saw Daniel and Rachel asking the man for the envelope. Then, Rinoa dodged traffic to get to the other side of the street. All she found was a confused looking Xu.  
  
"Xu, have you seen Squall around?" Rinoa asked frantically.  
  
"Nope. Quistis' gone too," Xu replied. Xu then quickly jaywalked to the other side. Where can Squall possibly be? She thought anxiously.  
  
"Squall! Where are you!"  
  
***  
  
"I think we have a good chance to claim the fast forward pass," Shelley said to Nida who was concentrating heavily on the Timber cityscape. "I don't think the leading teams would take it anyway. What do you think?"  
  
"Hmm..." Nida arched forward to see Jack and King's cab stopping before the traffic lights in front of them, "How do you get the pass?"  
  
"It says here we should go to Timber Maniacs and look for it in a pile of magazines," Shelley said, reading the instructions on a green piece of paper.  
  
"Then let's go for it," Nida said releasing a short breath. "Driver, take us to Timber Maniacs please," Nida requested, followed by a nod of the head of the driver. The driver then diverted the car to the right junction. Jack looked from behind the seat to see Nida and Shelley turning the other way.  
  
"Shit, did they spot a shortcut or were they just plain crazy?" Jack exclaimed. "Hey buddy, what do you think?"  
  
"We'll follow them cuz they're smart," King said, arching his body forward. "Hey cabbie, can you follow that taxi over there?"  
  
The driver then drove forward after the lights turned green and turned to the left junction trailing Nida and Shelley's taxi.  
  
"Shoot, Jack and King have changed their minds to get the fast forward pass I guess," Nida said as he looked at the front view mirror. "Drive faster! I'll pay extra 15 gil if you could do that," Nida ordered, waving a 15-gil bill back and forth. Like a burst of energy, the car screeched and accelerated, overtaking the slower cars in front of them.  
  
"Dammit, they're trying to lose us," King waved a twenty at the mirror causing the car to accelerate. "Don't lose that cab!"  
  
***  
  
Squall's black T-shirt and jeans was tugged and pulled by the pedestrians as he inched closer and closer the route marker, but was bumped back to square one by the crowd heading for the opposite direction. Squall bounced backwards until he bumped onto someone's chest. It was Quistis.  
  
"Are you alright, Squall?" Quistis said, hugging him around his torso.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Squall said, "This street sucks."  
  
"Let's get through this together okay?" Quistis said. With full might they both battled against the raging current. Finally, both of them surfaced from the crowd. The worry on Rinoa's face soon turned into relief.  
  
"Squall, I was so worried!" Rinoa said, rejoicing Squall with a kiss. Xu was also relieved to see Quistis again.  
  
Presently, Matron and Dr. Kadowaki had reached the shopping district and were pretty shocked at the overcrowded sidewalks.  
  
"Oh my goodness, what's going on?" Matron asked herself, "Can you take us directly to that arch?" The car continued towards the archway. Matron stepped out leaving Dr. Kadowaki to a standby in the taxi. Matron took the clue and hopped back into the car. Meanwhile, Zell and Irvine, Seifer and Selphie and Fujin and Raijin entered the chaotic area.  
  
"What the ^%^*%*&! Metalhead is in Timber!?!?" Zell exclaimed excitedly as he noticed people wearing Metalhead T-shirts marching towards the stadium with banners and picket signs. The large television screen and several billboards also advertised the concert and it made Zell enthusiastic about it.  
  
"Oh so that's why it's so crowded unlike the usual days," Irvine said behind his cowboy hat.  
  
"You don't understand, I crave for Metalhead, and their hit 'Freeway Ultrastar' is outta this world!!" Zell began to jump up and down. "It makes me wanna join the crowd dude.  
  
Irvine tilted his hat until his face was revealed, then slapping on his forehead. "Driver, get us to that flag immediately before this dude rock your car to smithereens," he urged. Zell just flung himself to a resting position, grumbling "I rather lose a million gil than not watching Metalhead live" to himself.  
  
"Ooh, Metalhead, that band are made of psychopaths," Selphie spat in dislike of the band, "I hate 'Freeway Ultrastar', it is 'super-duper-mega-suckingly-bad'! Don't you think so?"  
  
Seifer pressed his nose against the window trying not to pay attention to Selphie's banter. He was so pissed at her when she insulted his all time favourite song. Oh my goodness, Seifer has the same interest as Zell? That is unbelievable!  
  
"You know there weren't many people like what you see now during the Galbadian occupation. In fact it was totally overrun by soldiers so we had to encounter a lot of them during our first SeeD mission!" Selphie said proudly. "And we surely whipped a lot of them!"  
  
"Just shut up you bitch," Seifer voiced softly.  
  
"Ugh, Metalhead. They suck ya know," Raijin commented, which gave him a kick on the ankle by Fujin.  
  
"THEY DON'T SUCK!" Fujin protested. "Metalhead is all about self-liberation and freedom of voicing out your rage and anger! I once wished that I could just drive a monster truck and crushing twenty cars in a row in the freeway just like in 'Freeway Ultrastar'!"  
  
"Ya don't have to sound that harsh Fujin honey," Raijin said, rubbing his ankle. "That's not ladylike."  
  
"IMBECILE!" Fujin stepped forcefully on Raijin's big toe causing Raijin to squirm in pain.  
  
***  
  
Nida and Shelley stopped their car in front of the Timber Maniacs building and crawled out of the car after paying. They quickly entered the main gate of the building just as Jack and King spotted them.  
  
"What the heck they're doing in there?" Jack wondered. The both of them halted the car and exited the vehicle after paying. Then they entered the building finding the ship-steerers scrambling through the tied-up piles of old magazines littered throughout the compound.  
  
"Shoot, they're here," Nida whispered while looking through the pile at the lobby.   
  
"Hey, let's look for what they're looking for," Jack suggested, running to the office with King. Then, Nida and Shelley quickened their search for the pass. Jack and King browsed around the office with the staff staring at them during their work. King found a pile of really old magazines with a paper that looked like a route-info sticking out. He yanked the paper and managed to pull it out like a dentist pulling out someone's rotten tooth.  
  
"Hey Jack, I found something!" Jack heard his buddy's voice and approached him.  
  
"Congratulations, you have found your well-deserved fast forward pass! Now head to the pit stop (without doing any other tasks): The summit of the Gazing Mountain."  
  
"What's a fast forward?" Jack wondered in puzzlement.  
  
"Who cares? The goddamn paper told us to go to the pit stop," King exclaimed. The team then exited the office to see Nida and Shelley perspiring, looking for the pass.  
  
"Haha! We've got your pass," Jack teased in a singsong voice. Nida gave a hard punch on the marble floor in wrath.  
  
***  
  
Squall flung his weary self to the couch at the hotel lounge as Rinoa was booking for the mystery ride.  
  
"Hey Squall," Quistis said as she began to sit on the armchair next to Squall. She folded her hands and laid them on her crossed legs looking like a lady although she was wearing a white sleeveless top and jeans.  
  
"Whatever," Squall said to himself as usual. "What are you gonna do, lecture me on how to avoid being eliminated?"  
  
"No, I'm just going to baby-sit you so that you'll not get into trouble like this evening," Quistis said sarcastically, making Squall laughing like a fool. He did not get her saying at all. Quistis felt a soft touch on her shoulder. It was Rinoa's. She turned around until they made eye contact.   
  
Rinoa waved her finger back and forth. "My seat Quisty."  
  
Quistis stood up from the chair effortlessly. As she passed by the weary-looking Squall she whispered, "I don't want to lose you in this race." Rinoa quickly sat by Squall just as Quistis joined the Trepies, who were overjoyed having her acquaintance.  
  
"Squall," Rinoa said to her exhausted boyfriend. Her hair fluttered freely by the blast of cold air. "We'll be leaving tonight at 8 okay?" Rinoa laid her head onto Squall's broad shoulder and closed her eyes. Quistis then turned to see the couples relaxing together intimately. Immediately, her complexion started to turn green with envy.  
  
"Instructor, you're green!" Rachel gasped. Quistis' face then turned into the usual healthy colour.  
  
"Nothing," Quistis sighed. "Let's talk on."  
  
***  
  
Irvine had just booked the second bus, which will depart tonight at nine. Zell looked at the clock shaking in anticipation.  
  
"What the heck, the concert will start any moment!!" Zell said, readying his feet to dash for the exit. Irvine tugged him by the collar.  
  
"Uh uh, buddy, you're not getting anywhere," Irvine turned to the man behind the counter, "Book us one single room please."  
  
"That will be 100 gil sir." Irvine happily paid the money and dragged him to the elevator.  
  
After a few minutes, Selphie and Seifer entered the hotel silently. Selphie pondered at the toy train, which was revolving around the never-ending track, while Seifer was booking the bus ride.  
  
"What do you mean there are no more seats for the 9 o' clock bus?" Seifer complained. "I need to book seats for friends on the same bus."  
  
"Sir, please understand that our buses can only contain six people," the manager reasoned to the unsatisfied Seifer. "Miss, please don't touch that. NOOOOO!!!"  
  
It was too late to save anything. The train tipped over the track after Selphie playfully touched it and fell to the ground with a crash.  
  
"Oops. I didn't mean it, really!" Selphie wailed at the angry manager. Seifer slapped on his forehead, saying, "She's nothing but trouble," to himself. He pressed 200-gil bills on the counter to pay for the ride as well as for the toy train. He then angrily strode to the elevator, but presently a boom gate fell in front of him.  
  
"Gatey would be angry at you if you do not pay at the counter," a recorded message played from the gate. Seifer peeked at his wallet and found that he had only a 10-gil note left, which was enough to buy tuna sandwiches for Selphie and himself. Seifer suddenly felt arms hugging around his torso warmly and he turned his head to see Selphie resting her head on Seifer's back.  
  
"Seifer I'm really sorry to break the hotel's train," Selphie looked back with innocent eyes. Seifer shook his body fiercely and forced Selphie to one side.  
  
"You are a jinx you bitch!" Seifer said nastily. He stomped his foot firmly on the ground and headed in irritation to the lounge, leaving the spellbound Selphie at the reception counter. Subsequently, Irvine stepped out of the elevator to see Selphie in tears.  
  
"What's wrong honey?" Irvine neared Selphie and laid her hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Seifer hates me!" Selphie cried. She wiped of the tears and turned to Irvine. "Where have you been?"  
  
"I had to lock Zell up in the room cuz he's havin' the Metalhead fever," Irvine explained briefly, "Come, I'll treat you to some ice-cream. I know a shop here that sells the best vanilla ice!"   
  
Selphie smiled as they walked to the exit. Presently, Fujin and Raijin arose from the entrance and bumped on Irvine on the shoulder in an unfriendly manner.  
  
"CRETIN," Fujin hissed at Irvine who was singing the ice-cream song to Selphie. "PATHETIC."  
  
"Hmm... ice-cream sounds so good that I want to eat some to relax my aching muscles," Raijin said stretching his back. Fujin approached the reception counter.  
  
"BUS RIDE. BOOK," Fujin said. The receptionist signed them up for the 10 o'clock bus ride.  
  
"Oh dear, I'm afraid you've just missed the second ride," she said briefly.  
  
"SCREWED US UP. WHO?" Fujin said matter-of-factly.  
  
"You mean who booked the last seat for the second ride?" the girl scrolled through the list on the computer screen. "Third team on the 9 o'clock bus is... Selphie Tilmitt and Seifer."  
  
Fujin stomped on the floor angrily. "RAGE! SEIFER, WHERE?" The girl pointed to the lounge and without hesitation Fujin strode to the lounge with Raijin tagging along.  
  
"SEIFER!!!" Fujin's voice echoed through the lounge. "YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!"  
  
"What's wrong?" Seifer rose up from the couch in a sleepy but snide voice. "Ut oh, Fujin I can explain."  
  
"I thought we were allies," Fujin said with tears building up in her eyelids, now feeling the verge of possible elimination. Seifer quickly stood up to match height with Fujin and punched her in the stomach. Fujin squirmed and fell to the ground unconscious. Raijin was admiring the grand domed shape ceiling of the lounge until he spotted Fujin lying on the ground in front of Seifer.  
  
"Hey buddy, what did you just do?" Raijin asked.  
  
"Just say that I'm doing for Fujin's own good. Tell her that I'll plan on something to avoid you two from placing last at the pit stop," he sneered.  
  
***  
  
The sun had completely hid itself behind the Timber Mountains and left the world in darkness. Timber was then alit with lights making it look like a light bulb from above. In front of the Timber Hotel, Squall and Rinoa were waiting for their bus along with the instructors and the Trepies, admiring the colourful city lights.  
  
"Timber has been more colourful lately than at the time when I stayed here as a member of the Forest Owls," Rinoa commented thoughtfully. Presently, a tiny white bus stopped in front of the pack, pressing the brakes hardly until they screeched. The pack lined up eagerly as they waited for the door to open like a book. Squall and Rinoa entered the bus first and chucked their backpacks in an opening at the top of their seats. Quistis and Xu did the same thing and rested easily in their seats. Rachel then argued with Daniel who was sitting behind Quistis. In a few moments, the door closed on them and the bus started moving, heading to the Timber expressway.  
  
Meanwhile, at a restaurant situated on the same street as the Timber Hotel, Selphie joined Irvine, Dr. Kadowaki and Matron for dinner and a friendly chat. Instantly, the words Seifer snidely said to Selphie were erased from dominating her mind and her frown turned into a cheery smile. Seifer was happy enough to be given a treat at the Timber Burger Palace by Fujin and Raijin. Fujin stared at Seifer, who was munching his cheeseburger, sternly.  
  
"QUESTION," she started. "How can you guarantee us that we'll not be eliminated."  
  
"Don't worry," Seifer mumbled with his mouth full. He gulped all the food that had been in his mouth down to the throat. "Once I know what the next task will be, I'll plan on something that will ensure that both of you will not be eliminate. I'll also make sure that Selphie will never spot the cheat," his voice started to turn aggravating. "She has been a bloody pain in the ass."  
  
"You know what, teaming up with Seifer hasn't been bad at all," Selphie said. Irvine sprayed his drink on the table after he listened to Selphie. "Zell will be furious to hear that."  
  
"Anyway, are you going to lock him in a hotel room from now on?" Selphie asked, picturing Zell as a muskrat caged up in a hamster playpen.  
  
"Depends," Irvine said while sipping his pina colada. "Luckily the Metalhead concert is aired on TV so he'll like stuck his nose on the screen for a long time."  
  
"Poor Zell," Dr. Kadowaki said sarcastically, causing the whole table to laugh.  
  
***  
  
After a few hours driving through the rocky roads of the Timber Mountains, Jack and King finally reached the town of Bluerock Cliffs and above it was the summit of the Gazing Mountain. Jack stepped down from the bus in vertigo and began to throw up. King rushed to check his buddy, who had just finished puking and came to his senses. Jack and King rode the gondola to the summit, which was roughly a 10-minute journey.  
  
"This place is cool," Jack said with vapor released from the mouth, while looking at the marvel of the Timber Mountain Range, which had interesting rock formations either made up of sharp rock jutting out of the mountain or formed by years of erosion. "And darn cold too." King saw mountain goats grazing in the mountains and clapped his hands in excitement and awe, since he had a liking to wildlife. But then when Geezards appeared and started chasing the herd away with, he started to sniffle in disappointment.  
  
Jack and King stepped down from the gondola and then, rode a taxi to the highest point of the highland. As they spotted a blue and yellow route marker stuck on a railing at the summit viewpoint, adrenaline pumped into their veins and they sprung into action by running to the mat, embroidered with the map of the whole world, and stepped onto it in unison.  
  
"Welcome to the Gazing Mountain," a man wearing traditional Timber mountain clothing said and presented them a view of the city of Timber which flashed like a giant light bulb in the meadows of Galbadia continent.  
  
"Jack and King," the two card players turned to Cid standing in front of them in anticipation. "You're team number one."  
  
"Woohoo!!" Jack shouted excitedly with his buddy.  
  
"We love this race!" King exclaimed, as they gazed on at the beautiful flashy lights of Timber in front of them.  
  
***  
  
The view of the city dwindled as the bus moved nearer and nearer towards the Timber Mountains. The expressway soon turned into a series of winding country roads and bumpy and treacherous mountain trails. The surrounding darkness scared Daniel out of his socks. It had been a three-hour journey and it made Rinoa yawned in boredom. She squeezed into her tight blue sweater as the air was getting colder. Squall's ear began to be deaf as the bus moved to higher altitude.   
  
"We're almost there!" Rachel said in excitement after passing by the 'Welcome to Timber Mountains: the only place where extreme sports go 24 hours and 365 days a year!' sign. After another hour, the bus stopped at the town of Bluerock Cliffs, which was not as bright as compared to the city when nightfall. A clue box was soon spotted under a lonely light post after the teams stepped down from the bus in their winter clothes.  
  
"Hey, the clue!" Rachel and Daniel raced to the box and opened it.  
  
"Detour," Rachel and Daniel said as they read the contents of the envelope. "Slow Climb Up or Fast Slide Down."  
  
"Slow Climb Up. Head to the nearby Bluerock Cliff and climb to the crevice about 30 feet from the ground to get the next route marker. Fast Slide Down. Take a taxi to Station 3 at the Timber Mountain Slopes and slide down the hill to the next route marker." The clue read.  
  
"Rinoa, are you okay to propel up a cliff?" Squall asked, which was replied with a thumb up. Squall and Rinoa ran to the cliff, which was only a hundred yards away, while Quistis and Xu waited for a taxi, but soon changed their minds to go for the other task instead.   
  
Rachel was the first person to put on her climbing gear as she nervously looked up at the steep cliff.  
  
"This is scary!" Rachel said, hiding her head in Daniel's chest. "I've cliff-hanged before but climbing a cliff at night with dim lights shining is really scary." Rachel eased herself and fixed her foot on the rock and she began to climb steadily. Her experience served her well by reaching to the route marker in no time at all. She snapped the safety ropes off her and entered the dark but lightened cave to pick up the red envelope lying behind some rocks.  
  
"Congratulations you have conquered perhaps your greatest fear. Head to the pit stop: The summit of the Gazing Mountain," she read out loud while looking at the summit of Gazing Mountain. Then she looked down seeing Daniel shivering in fear and struggling to fix a good grip on the rocks, while Squall was already halfway up to the crevice.  
  
"Daniel, you can do it!" Rachel waved at Daniel, "Just don't look below!"  
  
"Okay," Daniel said nervously. He finally got his footing and began to climb a quarter of the journey. Daniel was glad, but then suddenly his foot rubbed on a loose rock and he began to get unstable.  
  
"Daniel!" Rachel wailed.  
  
***  
  
Zell stealthily fixed earplugs onto Irvine's ear when he was napping in his seat. The cacophony of musical instruments and men screaming rang loudly in Irvine's ear. Irvine suddenly woke up and pulled off the earplugs connected to Zell's Walkman in a nasty mood.  
  
"Was that Metalhead, pardner?" Irvine began, sounding a little edgy and pointing his finger on Zell who was nodding at the music of his all time favourite band. "Your freakazoid band gives me the creeps ya know."  
  
"Who cares?" Zell retaliated. "You could've let me join the concert."  
  
"We don't have the money Zell," Irvine tried to reason. Zell then plugged a cable to the bus' stereo system and the song 'Freeway Ultrastar' blared noisily.  
  
"Zell stop it!" Selphie screamed plugging her ears with her hands.  
  
"That's for giving me cold Jambalaya for dinner you S.O.B. cowboy," Zell jeered.  
  
"Hey I kinda like your taste in music boy," the driver said nodded his head to the rhythm.  
  
"Ugh, stop it!" Irvine pleaded. "I promise I won't lock you up in a hotel again." But Zell tuned up the volume until everyone was on the bus was plugging their ears tightly in irritation, except for Seifer and the driver, who were greatly influenced to the beat by shaking their heads.  
  
"Okay, okay!" Irvine began to position himself on all fours on the floor and crawling to Zell purring like a cat. "Meow! I'll also buy you Deling City hotdogs when we might get there!" He added pathetically.  
  
"Good cat," Zell then rubbed his fist on Irvine's head and immediately switched off the music. Irvine stood up in embarrassment as the other passengers began to laugh hysterically at his act.  
  
"Well done Irvine. You do look like a cat," Matron sarcastically joked, giggling.  
  
"Aw... I wanted to listen to Metalhead badly!" Seifer whined.  
  
"Huh?" Selphie turned to Seifer in surprise. "What did you just say?"  
  
Seifer cupped his hands and sealed his mouth with them. Then he took off his hands and said with his balled fist in front of her, "Stop pondering on my personal agendas you bitch!"  
  
Selphie started crying. But then she wiped off her tears and retaliated, "I didn't want to team up with you anyway you S.O.B." Both of them turned from each other's face and tried to sleep on their seats.  
  
"Hey driver, why did you like Metalhead anyway?" Irvine asked. He wanted to strangle Zell who was dozing peacefully but he conserved his composure.  
  
The driver began to laugh. "The band comes from Timber and they're the city's pride in the music industry. So technically every citizen of Timber's proud of them."  
  
"Cool," Seifer and Zell thought in their sleep.  
  
***  
  
"Don't worry Daniel. Hold on and don't look down," Rachel shouted at Daniel who was struggling to retain his footing on the cliff. By then, Squall had reached the large crevice and Rinoa began to put on the climbing gear. Daniel could only give short nods and swung his foot to the rock. At last, the foot fitted nicely between the rocks and Daniel continued climbing following Rachel's instruction.   
  
"Good work Daniel," Rachel slapped a high five at Daniel, who was sweating and out of breath. The Trepies waited until the 'Lionheart-Angels' finished their climb and rode the flying fox to the ground so that they can help their idol climb the cliff.  
  
"Thank you, Rachel," Quistis said gratefully. The Trepies slid down the cable to meet with Squall and Rinoa at the bottom. Then, the four waited as Quistis and Xu screamed in terror as they rode the flying fox.  
  
***  
  
"Hey, wake up," Irvine shook Zell violently.  
  
"Where are we?" Zell woke up groggily. "Had a good dream of Deling City hotdogs."  
  
"We're going to arrive at a town called Bluerock Cliffs in no time," said Irvine, who was all dressed up in a cozy beige cowboy sweater, handing Zell's winter clothes in front of him.  
  
"Hey I told you not to mess around with my luggage!"  
  
After the bus parked alongside with two other buses at the town's bus terminal, a girl in a bright yellow cardigan, who was Selphie, surfaced from the bus followed by Seifer, Zell, Irvine, Matron and Dr. Kadowaki. Then, the three teams jostled to the clue box.  
  
"Let's climb!" Selphie said, as she had experiences climbing and propelling cliffs in Trabia. Seifer denied by shaking his head violently.  
  
"No, I'm not doing it!" Seifer said.  
  
"Now who's calling chicken-wuss you S.O.B. of an ex-knight," Zell taunted as he walked to the cliff. Seifer gritted his teeth in deep rage.  
  
"Okay I'll do it!" Seifer vowed. "I'll even climb up the cliff in a shorter time than that chicken-wuss!" Selphie then dragged him to their next destination. In his mind, he wished that he could bring along his Gunblade and chop off Zell's fists, but bringing weapons was a violation to the race rules anyway.   
  
Zell was then seen donning the climbing gear and then fitted his foot between the jutting rocks.  
  
"See ya suckers!" Zell started climbing and after ten minutes he lifted his body to the crevice.  
  
"I swear I'll reach there in a second and strangle you to death!" Seifer yelled at Zell, who was pouting, as the operators helped him with the climbing gear. Selphie then fitted her foot snugly between the rocks.   
  
"Follow my footing and you'll reach the top in no time... Seifer!!" Selphie wailed as Seifer was way ahead of her. Zell was astonished at the catlike movements of Seifer as he slid down the cable. Suddenly, Seifer stepped on a loose rock and lost his balance, causing him to dangle dangerously, gripping onto a piece of rock jutting from the face of the cliff.   
  
Selphie stood at the ground gaping. "Seifer!!" She then held firmly on the second rope started climbing.  
  
"Don't worry!" Seifer yelled back. He swung his legs trying to put them on the cliff a few times. The rock that Seifer was holding on began to loosen.  
  
"Seifer!!!" Selphie climbed up with faster steps. Seifer finally got his feet on the rock and slowly released his grip from the rock carefully. After a few steps up the cliff, the rock broke off and fell to the ground scaring Dr. Kadowaki and Matron. Seifer and Selphie sighed together. Selphie reached the crevice first and pulled Seifer up to the flat ground. After that it was Dr. Kadowaki and Matron's turn to climb. Zell and Irvine cheered wildly at the old ladies who made it to the top.  
  
"Oh my goodness! I'll never do that again," Dr. Kadowaki said, panting for breath. She snapped the clue from the rocks and ripped it open.  
  
"Go to next pit stop, summit of Gazing Mountain," Dr. Kadowaki then wrapped her arm around Matron's sweater as they neared the flying fox.  
  
"Here we go again," Matron sarcastically said as they screamed, gliding in the air.  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin and Nida and Shelley stepped down from the bus in serious looks. They stared at each other briefly in tense competition and then ran to the clue box.  
  
"DETOUR," Fujin said.  
  
"Oh oh, no way I'm going to climb a cliff!" Fujin then kicked Raijin in the ankle.  
  
The operators were already waiting for trailing teams at the Bluerock cliffs. Raijin pushed Nida and Shelley away to reach the climbing gear first. Then, after wearing the climbing gear Raijin grabbed onto the rope and began to climb, followed by Shelley holding onto the second rope and walking up the cliff effortlessly. As Raijin was inches away from the crevice, he suddenly turned his head in lethargy and looked at Fujin who was seen as a dot from above.  
  
"Aaacckk!!!" Raijin shrieked and he became unbalanced.  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin hissed. She picked up a rock and with might she threw the stone at Raijin and it hit perfectly on the butt. Then, Raijin yelped in pain and scuttled up the cliff until he panted wildly when he finally reached the crevice. After that, he entered the cave gingerly and spotted the pile of rocks. He picked up the envelope and a knife appeared on top of the last envelope. He picked it up and went outside to see Fujin climbing up the cliff effortlessly but Shelley struggled on the footing and running out of breath and energy since the air was thin and it was 3 o'clock in the morning already. Fujin overtook Shelley and pulled herself onto the flat ground. Raijin then showed her the knife he found.  
  
"KNIFE, BELONGS TO SEIFER!" Fujin said, smiling evilly.  
  
"What are we supposed to do with it?" Raijin asked. Fujin snatched the knife from him and unsheathed it. A silver glimmer shone on Shelley's eyes and but she could not clearly see Fujin striking the blade against the outermost fibre of Shelley's rope. Raijin widened his eyes and was about to say, "Fujin, you cut the rope!" but was stopped and Fujin with a kick in the ankle.  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin then signaled Raijin to ride the flying fox and then she followed holding onto Raijin's sturdy back.  
  
Shelley finally lifted herself up to the crevice and quickly swiped the clue from the cave.   
  
"Nida, hurry!" Shelley shouted at Nida who was figuring out his footing. As Nida was at half the climb, Fujin and Raijin had already landed on the ground, which made her flushed with anxiety.  
  
"Nida, you can do it!!" Shelley shouted even louder. At that point she spotted the fibres of Nida's rope was starting to snap one at a time.  
  
"Nida, hurry! The rope's breaking!" she said in the most hysterical voice. More fibres started to snap causing Nida to inch downwards dangerous. Nida started to panic, but the nerve juices started flowing and a sudden burst of energy made Nida wanted to climb faster. Nida finally reached the crevice with Shelley giving a helping hand to pull him up.  
  
"That was really close!" Nida said huffing and puffing. He examined the ropes and calculated that if he did not climb faster the rope would definitely snap completely.  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin stepped out of the gondola, which was under a 24-hour operation. Raijin's run turned into a weak shuffle as all his energy was completely drained out.  
  
"I'm out of breath honey, ya know," Raijin huffed and puffed and wheezed heavily. Fujin, also tired, kicked his butt in anger. After 3 minutes of walking, they arrived at the summit viewpoint where Headmaster Cid was waiting.  
  
"Welcome to the Gazing Mountain," the man greeted but it did not break the ice within the duo. In fact, they have overworked themselves and wished that they would not join the stupid goddamn race for Seifer's sake in the start.  
  
"Fujin and Raijin," Fujin and Raijin looked at Cid anxiously although they knew the fact that they are not going to be kicked out of the race. "You're team number eight!"  
  
Nida and Shelley hastened their pace as they neared Headmaster Cid. The man greeted both of them as they stepped on the mat.  
  
"Nida and Shelley," Cid began. Nida and Shelley did not show any signs of worry but were cool as ever. Cid's tone started to get deeper with condolence, "I'm sorry to tell you that you've been eliminated."  
  
Tears build up in Nida's eyes after hearing the dreaded words. Shelley then placed his head on her shoulder and comforted him. Nida then looked up at Cid with crystalline eyes.  
  
"If I weren't a slowpoke we could have held on," he confessed. "Yeah, I guess it's not good to be overconfident and over-relaxed when the pan's heating up," he continued sarcastically and started laughing together with Shelley.  
  
"No Nida, you did pretty well climbing. You could've got yourself killed," Shelley said. At that moment on the both of them took short steps walking away from the pit stop in much disappointment.  
  
Nida turned back at the shining view of the city. "Goodbye Timber, it's been a fruitful adventure." 


	3. Who Wants to BungeeJump when you got Alt...

Who Wants to Bungee-Jump when you have Altophobia  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
The eight remaining teams were now put under a mandatory rest period for twelve hours at the camping grounds of the Gazing Mountain summit. The next morning, all teams were happy to have free breakfast at their table and mingled with each other. Some complained about the lack of food and sleep and it was so darn cold last night that they wanted to wrap the whole tent to their body.  
  
"After the cliff climb my back starts to ache really badly," Daniel commented sleepily talking to Jack. Rachel offered some cream to Quistis but was heavily refused.  
  
"Come on. You need some calcium and extra energy," Rachel reasoned.  
  
"Sorry, on a diet," Quistis said gulping down a glass of milk, "Besides, I hate cream and bacon and eggs will do." She then turned from the down looking student to Squall and stared at him thoughtfully. Squall gave a piece of bacon to Rinoa and she happily chewed it down, and then both of them laughed together like a perfectly loving couple.   
  
"Jealous?" Xu tapped on Quistis' shoulder and she turned to see Xu smiling. "I wished I had a boyfriend too."  
  
Seifer, Fujin and Raijin isolated themselves by sitting at the furthest end of the picnic table.  
  
"Hey guys," Selphie walked towards Seifer who was eating his eggs. "Why don't you guys join us and talk together?"  
  
"I would love to, ya know!" Raijin began to rise up from his seat. Fujin silently kicked his ankle causing him to shrink back down to his seat.  
  
"Leave us alone!" Seifer mumbled with eggs in his mouth. "We're in the middle of the discussion."  
  
As Selphie left the posses to rejoin Zell and Irvine, Raijin stared at Fujin in this eye. "Why can't I mix around?"  
  
"FOOL!" she banged the table with her fist. "You'll reveal that we've cheated."  
  
"Yeah, and I'll confess the whole thing to Squall and the others until the part where you almost took away Nida's life!" Raijin scolded.  
  
"Oh, so Fujin cut the rope huh?" Seifer said.  
  
"POSITIVE," Fujin replied. "And thank you for leaving us your penknife."  
  
Seifer's eyes widened suddenly and then raised his head until it was directly towards Fujin's eye patch. "I don't bring a penknife, they're sissy tools. And I didn't leave a knife in the cave. I was planning to hijack the gondolas but I was stuck in this camping ground since I got here so I couldn't get out."  
  
Fujin sat up straight in surprise while Raijin gaped. "Ya mean you didn't leave us that knife?" Raijin said assuring to himself.  
  
"Hell no," Seifer said in irritation going back to eating his breakfast.  
  
"I thought you recognised it as Seifer's honey," Raijin turned to Fujin who had a blank expression.  
  
"ASSUMED," Fujin said turning to Seifer. "YOU PROMISED TO HELP US."  
  
"Sorry!" Seifer said holding his hands up with the table utensils.  
  
"So who left the knife?" Raijin asked to himself.  
  
"Probably the operators or a climber who went into the cave," Seifer suggested.   
  
"Who knows anyone could've left it there."  
  
"But it was on top of the last envelope. It looked like a setup to me," Fujin said.  
  
"I'm going to talk to the others," Raijin stood up but Fujin did not force him to sit back down this time. "Let's take it as a coincidence."  
  
***  
  
After packing their backpacks Jack and King surfaced from their red tent and walked to the checkpoint, which was not far away. It was 7.34 a.m. and the man who greeted them last night gave them the red envelope.  
  
"Good luck," he said. Jack tore the envelope open and read the contents softly.  
  
"Choose a marked car at Bluerock Cliffs and drive yourselves to the Vinzer Pier at Lake Obel. You have 300 gil for this leg of the race."   
  
After counting the money, Jack and King headed for the gondola, which will take them back down to Bluerock Cliffs. The view was magnificent as the rocks showed off their bluish complexion and the morning sunrise looked orange but golden from behind the mountains. King was elated to see even more animals and monsters during the gondola ride than last evening. After the ten-minute ride, they ran to the cars.  
  
"Lake Obel, here we come!" Jack cheered and entered the back seat. After that, King tuned up the engine and the car started to move. They drove through the scenic mountain passes and then into the flat country roads, which was adorned with the scenery of Timber's most prized meadows and farmlands. Jack and King removed their winter clothes as they reentered the warmer part of Timber.  
  
***  
  
Tourists started to pour in Bluerock Cliffs and the summit was bustled with weekenders who want to picnic or camp overnight to look at the view of Timber City at night. The campsite began to jam up causing Rinoa and Squall, Quistis and Xu and the Trepies wanting to leave the place minutes before they officially start the leg. Rinoa and Squall stepped up on the mat to claim their clue at 12.53 p.m., followed by Quistis and Xu and the Trepies who checked in together   
  
ten minutes after Squall and Rinoa had checked in last night.  
  
"Lake Obel, let's go," Quistis said, riding a taxi to the summit's gondola station to Bluerock Cliffs.   
  
***  
  
The blue reflective complexion of Lake Obel, the largest lake of Galbadia Continent soon surfaced from the meadows as Jack and King drove along the road. Soon, they reached Lakeside Meadows, a small town located by the shore of Lake Obel and also a holiday home to the late Galbadian President Vinzer Deling.  
  
"Hey, there's a flag," Jack spotted the blue and yellow flag with an arrow pointing to the left junction perched on a streetlight. King diverted the car into the junction and arrived at the pier. King parked the car messily by the beach and soon the two card players stepped down from the car to run to the clue box, which was standing at the end of the pier.  
  
"Detour," Jack said after he ripped the envelope open. "Paddle: Row longboats to   
  
Shadow Isle in a distance of two miles. Saddle: Ride Chocobos in a distance of four miles to the Sanpiper's Bridge and cross it to get to Shadow Isle."  
  
"Oh I wanted to ride Chocobos but let's take the boats since it's fast," he said turning to the longboats below the pier. After wearing water vests, King lowered to the boat followed by Jack and then he released the knot that kept the boat from drifting away. The boat drifted offshore and the two people started to paddle to the island.  
  
A boy got up and shouted at the boat from the pier in warning. "Hey, don't swim in the water 'cause it's the piranas' mating season!"   
  
***  
  
Seifer and Selphie rode midway down the cable in their gondola, sitting side by side but turned away from each other in deep thought. Suddenly the cables screeched and Seifer jolted forward.   
  
"Oh my god, what's going on?" Selphie said in panic as she saw the other gondolas stopped moving at 300 feet above the mountain range. Presently, a man's voice started to speak from the intercom.  
  
"We apologise for the inconvenience. There's been a technical error in the cable car system so we had to halt the gondola. It won't take long until the gondolas start functioning again. Oh yeah, and do not panic. We guarantee that you will not fall and crash into the mountains and die. Thank you."  
  
"What the %$&%*%&^*," Zell cursed waiting for a gondola ride at the summit station along with Irvine, Matron and Dr. Kadowaki.  
  
"Hope it doesn't take long," Dr. Kadowaki longed with a sigh.  
  
"Hmm... I wonder if Selphie made her move if she and Seifer were trapped in the gondola," Irvine thought dirtily.  
  
  
  
Seifer looked down at the mountains from the gondola's window. Below there were chunks of rocks jutting out of the surface that can pierce through a human body. Seifer began to feel sick in his seat as the gondola wobbled back and forth due to the wind. As every minute passed by he could feel the gondola declining a few inches downwards and he thought he was a sure goner.  
  
"Seifer," Selphie said leaning her body to Seifer, who was sinking his head in his arms. Selphie then tried to sound flirtatious. "This is the best time we should explore each other!"  
  
Seifer looked up at Selphie's grin and gaped. "What are you trying to do?"   
  
Seifer looked around in panic but there was nobody else but the Selphie. "No. NOOOOOO!!!"  
  
Fujin and Raijin were the last couple to receive their envelope at the checkpoint at 3.15 in the evening. They took their final chance to eye at the beauty of Timber from the viewpoint.  
  
"RUN," Fujin said ordering Raijin to dash for a taxi. After a 2-minute taxi ride, Fujin and Raijin reached the station. As they enter, they spotted Zell by his face tattoo looking at the large clock and shaking his legs impatiently.  
  
"Hey guys," Raijin greeted and then Fujin jabbed him telling him not to be to friendly. "Why are you guys waiting here?"  
  
"The freakin' gondola just got shut down and we've been forced to wait for almost an hour now," Zell explained.  
  
"SEIFER, WHERE?" Fujin asked coolly.  
  
"Let's just assume that Seifer might either be on his way to Lake Obel or stuck midway with Selphie in the gondola ride," Irvine said turning his attention to the woman fiddling her silver hair. "Wanna take a bet?"  
  
Raijin raised his hand.  
  
"Ugh, help me!" Seifer laughed lying on the steel floor as Selphie tickled his chest when she tried to remove his black T-shirt with a skull in the middle. As Selphie finished removing the T-shirt, revealing Seifer's muscular body, she then continued to unbuckle Seifer's belt. That caused Seifer to react by lifting his legs to kick Selphie's torso, which made her huddled to one side. Seifer got up with his senses fully recovered. "What are you trying to do to me you bitch!" Seifer barked at her while putting back on his T-shirt and sweater. He then approached Selphie and found her sniffling. At the moment, Seifer and Selphie exchanged glances and kissed passionately. After a few seconds, Seifer departed from her lips and whispered, "Are you heterosexual, bitch?"  
  
Selphie shook her head shyly. "Hey let's do that again."  
  
Presently, the gondola started to motion. Selphie got up and wore back her yellow cardigan. "I enjoyed that Seifer," Selphie said to Seifer who was getting up from the floor. "I didn't know you could tame me that well."  
  
"Well, let's just say I've got experie... uh... male instinct," Seifer replied.  
  
***  
  
Squall and Rinoa were paddling in the middle of Lake Obel to the Shadow Isle.  
  
"Squall," Rinoa stopped paddling and said, "Isn't this the time to like... do something romantic?"  
  
Squall stopped and gave a stern look at Rinoa. "Honey, this is a race and after this leg we can have a private time together okay?"  
  
"Aw but can we have it once in the middle of the race, especially since Lake Obel looked so pretty now?"   
  
The two lovers approached each other lovingly and their lips began to touch and a kiss began. Quistis, who was struggling with the oar, looked at the reflection of the couple smooching passionately on the crystal clear lake. Xu noticed Quistis' behaviour and started to act sternly.  
  
"Quistis, I think I'll turn around so that we can synchronise our paddling," she said firmly.  
  
Meanwhile, Rachel and Daniel rode the Chocobos across the town and towards the bridge connected to Shadow Isle. Suddenly, Rachel's Chocobo hesitated as it approached the water. "Kweh!!!" it wailed and danced around in panic causing Rachel to fall off and hit the water. Daniel laughed as Rachel rose to the shore dripping wet. Rachel then approached the Chocobo.  
  
"What's wrong, lil' fella?" she talked to the medium-sized Chocobo stroking its cheek.  
  
"Kweh kweh!!" The chocobo started again and pointed to the water with its beak.   
  
Rachel then walked to the bridge and looked at her perfect reflection on the clear waters. Subsequently, the reflection rippled and a silver-coloured fish jumped out of the water trying to bite Rachel's nose with its razor-sharp teeth. Rachel was lucky to dodge the attack and ran back to Daniel.  
  
"Daniel, the Chocobos are scared of the piranas so we'd better walk to the island. Daniel dismounted from the Chocobo and jogged to Rachel and both of them crossed the lake, trying not to touch the railing in case the piranas attacked again.  
  
Squall and Rinoa got off the boat and landed on the shore of Shadow Isle. Then, they headed to the clue box located between the bridge and the boat drop-off point. Rinoa opened the box and took out the envelope.  
  
"Let's see where we're going next," Rinoa ripped the envelope open and a route-info popped out. "Take a train to Dollet and find the Nautilus Fountain."  
  
"Dollet, huh," Squall said to himself.  
  
"Let's go!" Rinoa tugged Squall by the hand to the bridge and they ran in with Rachel and Daniel.  
  
"Don't touch the railings cuz there are piranas in the water!" Rachel warned.  
  
"Okay," Rinoa yelled and nodded.  
  
Rachel and Daniel then took the envelope from the box, ripping it apart.   
  
"DOLLET!" Rachel and Daniel both screamed in joy. Presently, Quistis and Xu wearily approached the clue box and opened it sluggishly to reveal a pile of red envelopes.  
  
"Oh we're going to Dollet next," Quistis said, looking at the cityscape of Timber across the lake.   
  
***  
  
Selphie did not rant like yesterday as they were driving along Lake Obel, but was brooding for a long time. Seifer noticed the strange silence in Selphie.  
  
"Selphie, are you all right?" She turned to Seifer's reflection in the back view mirror.  
  
"I didn't know Seifer would ask such a question," she said innocently, but it hit Seifer's heart.  
  
"I didn't mean to say that you bitch, 'cause I'll never change like that son of a bitch Squall!" Seifer pressed the accelerator harder and the car sped blowing away the leaves lying on the road.  
  
After about 30 minutes, Seifer parked the car next to the pier. After reading the clue, both of them started mounting the Chocobos and signaled them to move. Ten minutes later, three cars arrived at the pier, which were Zell and Irvine, Dr. Kadowaki and Matron, and Fujin and Raijin. Then, Zell and Irvine and Fujin and Raijin lowered themselves to the longboats while Dr. Kadowaki and Matron mounted on the Chocobos' saddle.  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin hissed at Raijin. "Don't you know how to row!?"  
  
Raijin then turned around to face Fujin's back and paddled making their boat to move away from Zell and Irvine's. Zell and Irvine did the same and their boat started to move straightly towards the island.  
  
"Yay, we're going to Dollet!" Fujin could hear Selphie's loud and cheery voice.  
  
"HURRY UP!" Fujin ordered. Raijin obeyed like a dog and paddled faster.   
  
Suddenly, water started to build up below Raijin's seat.  
  
"Oh I think I peed," Raijin whined.  
  
"FOOL! WATER ENTERING BOAT, ROW FAST BEFORE SINKING!" Immediately, the both of them hastened their movement, but it made things worse as the boat rotated as it moved forward due to unsynchronized paddling. Consequently, just before they could reach the shore, the boat sank and Fujin and Raijin were seen floating on the water.  
  
"RAGE!!!" Fujin screeched as she looked at Seifer walking on the bridge with Selphie behind him. Raijin felt a tickling sensation on his finger. He held up his hand a eyed at the baby pirana biting his thumb playfully.  
  
"PIRANAS!!!" The warning marked Fujin and Raijin's swim to the shore of the isle. Fujin then climbed to the shore and then Raijin followed to rest on the sand beside her out of breath.  
  
"CLOSE!!" Fujin wiped off the moisture on her face and wrung her drenched pink sleeveless blouse.  
  
"Ow I think I got my butt bitten," Raijin said in pain as he rubbed his buttocks carefully. After that they shuffled to the box, dripping wet.   
  
"NAUTILUS FOUNTAIN. TRAIN FROM TIMBER TO DOLLET," Fujin announced, with Zell and Irvine presently stepping out of the boat. Fujin then clenched her fist and gritted her teeth. "SEIFER!"  
  
***  
  
Jack and King got off the train after it had stopped at the Dollet train station. The communication tower which stood high on top of the Dollet Plateau was an unmistakable monument representing the Dukedom of Dollet, which was founded since the era of the Sorceress War and its capital city Dollet was a charming seaside town with an ancient and nostalgic charm to it. Jack and King admired at the golden architecture of old alleys, buildings and statues as they rode a taxi to the city center, where the magnificent Nautilus Fountain was set and its statue, the Nautilus, was a work of Stiletto, one of the greatest architects of the thousand-year old dukedom. The card players did not stop to admire the beauty of the statue, the son of the seas, Nautilus, with his arms stretching out to hold a giant basin of water, one of the basic creations of life, into the shallow well with the carving of the world map.  
  
King opened the clue box, which was in front of the fountain and took out the envelope. He then ripped it open and read it to Jack. "Your next destination is where the 'Lost King' is pointing."  
  
Jack then asked the people around the square the whereabouts of the 'Lost King'.  
  
"I think it's a statue at the Dollet Museum," a man said.  
  
Immediately, the team called for a taxi to take them to the museum. After their arrival, Jack and King entered the museum to look for the statue. Then they found a figure that resembled an aging king with a sceptre in his hand, but the statue is not pointing.  
  
"Why aren't you pointing?" King scolded at the statue, whose eyes looked at him sternly. This caught the attention of a guide.  
  
"Sir, can you please pay some respect to our 'father'?" she said approaching the team.  
  
"I'm sorry but maybe you can help us?" Jack said showing the route-info to the woman, who soon giggled after reading it.  
  
"The 'lost king' is another name of the big satellite dish at the communications tower," she explained briefly. "And if I'm not mistaken, the first building it should be pointing directly to is the Belle Lighthouse on Rhondia Island off Dollet beach."  
  
"Thanks," Jack said, then seen running to the exit.  
  
"No running!" she shouted.  
  
***  
  
Squall looked at the sky thoughtfully in the Dollet bound train, which turned from bright blue to golden as the hours go by. He felt someone tugging his sleeve and turned to see Rinoa smiling.  
  
"What are you thinking of, honey?" she asked meekly.  
  
"Whatever," he said in his breath and continued looking at the sky. Quistis set her eyes on Squall who was just sitting at the opposite table, waving her fork back and forth above her plate of sirloin steak.  
  
"Quistis, are you alright?" Xu tapped on Quistis' shoulder. "Snap out of it."  
  
"Sorry Xu, got distracted," Quistis said turning to Xu. "What'd you do if your dream boyfriend has already someone beside him?"  
  
"I'd say forget him," Xu munched her salad. "But if you're serious, then when the perfect opportunity strikes, yank it in and tie it up."  
  
"The perfect opportunity huh?" Quistis thought deeply. Her thoughts suddenly burst when the Trepies surprised her from behind. She turned around to see Daniel and Rachel and stared at them in irritation. "You almost choked me. Have you no manners?" she chided.  
  
"Sorry Instructor Trepe," Rachel apologised. "We thought that we asked to come to our table. We have the most beautiful view of Dollet!"  
  
"Yeah, and there are lost of castles," Daniel added.  
  
"Sure, we'll go to your place," Xu rose from her seat but Rachel shook her head at Xu. "Sorry, Instructor Xu. We're only inviting Instructor Trepe."  
  
"Sorry I'm not in the mood. Anyway I've been to Dollet and seen most of the sites," Quistis tried to reason, making the Trepies nod in disappointment.  
  
"Then shall I replace her?" Xu asked. The Trepies nodded lightly and the three left Quistis alone with her fondest fantasy. Xu turned to the window beside her after she took a seat on the Trepies' table. The view of the sunset giving the ruins and ancient castles scatter around the lush Dolletian greenery twinkled in her eyes.  
  
***  
  
At another Dollet bound train, which was two hours apart from Squall's ride, Fujin slid the doors open and found Seifer lying on the sofa of his cabin. She transmitted an outraged look to Seifer causing Seifer to rise from his nap and turn to Fujin.  
  
"RAGE!!!" Fujin could not contain her anger as she lunged for Seifer's neck.  
  
"Fujin, what the heck happened to you?" Seifer said, shielding his neck from Fujin's attack.  
  
"I thought we were allies," Fujin balled her fist and her eyes started to water.   
  
"We almost got eaten alive by mating piranas when our ship got sunk in Lake Obel and you did not come to help us!"  
  
"Sorry, I didn't see 'cause Selphie and I wanted to leave the place after we got the clue," Seifer tried to explain and Fujin rejected it hardly.  
  
"SELPHIE, SELPHIE, SELPHIE!" Fujin screeched. "Just what'd she done do you when you two were trapped in the gondola ride?"  
  
"Trapped?" Seifer tried to sound confused. "Oh yeah, the gondola systems got jammed up just before we departed from the gondola. Must've been scary hanging there above those sharp rocks."  
  
"TRUE? MEAN IT?" Fujin said back to her booming voice. Seifer nodded and shrank back to his resting position. Fujin then turned around to exit the cabin until she ran into Selphie, who was running to the cabin after chatting with Zell and Irvine and the two old ladies. Fujin and Selphie exchanged looks before she   
  
finally left the couple alone.  
  
"Seifer, wanna continue where we'd stop at the gondola?" Selphie said cheerily, which was followed by a yes. Selphie silently locked the door behind her and strutted towards the sofa unbuttoning her yellow blouse.  
  
***  
  
Rachel and Daniel got the next clue first after they had reached the route marker at the Nautilus Fountain. Then, a taxi appeared and Squall and Rinoa were seen stepping out of the cab.   
  
"...where the 'Lost King' is pointing." Rachel then began to ask the people around the square. "Does anyone know where the 'Lost King' is?"  
  
"It's the satellite dish at the communications tower!" someone anonymous shouted back.  
  
"Thanks!" Rachel signaled Daniel to return to their taxis and they climbed in. "Dollet Communications Tower sir!"  
  
"The 'Lost King'!" Quistis turned to the giant satellite dish on the communications tower, which was perched at the Dollet Plateau. Quistis and Xu climbed back to the taxi and followed Squall and Rinoa.  
  
Rachel and Daniel's taxi dropped them in front of the steps to the Dollet   
  
Plateau. Holding a map in her hand, Rachel climbed the steps arduously until the full view of the communications tower surfaces. The Trepies tilted their heads to gaze at the 'Lost King' in awe.   
  
"Let's go inside quickly," Daniel said. Rachel and Daniel entered the automatic gates to see workers working on the circuit boards in the last minute. They both rode the elevator up to the rooftop of the tower, where the 'Lost King' is located, perched on top of a steel turret. Rachel then climbed the ladder of the turret towards the dish. Her ponytail and T-shirt started to waver as a light breeze started to pick up.  
  
"Rachel, what do you see?" Daniel shouted at Rachel who was about 50 feet above him.  
  
Rachel aligned her sight to the direction of the dish, with her hand shielding her eyes from the setting sun sinking into the ocean from afar. "I see a lighthouse! And there's a blue and yellow flag sticking out of the balcony!" Rachel climbed back down and spread out the map of Dollet. She moved her finger to the beach and then to an island. "Belle Lighthouse on Rhondia Island. Let's go!"  
  
The Trepies descended by riding the elevator and saw Rinoa and Squall. They said nothing to them but as they bumped into Quistis outside the tower them became excited.  
  
"Instructor Trepe, we know where's the next route marker. Follow us!"  
  
Squall and Rinoa stared at the tall turret, the throne of the 'Lost King'.  
  
"Squall be careful," Rinoa said to Squall who was gripping on the rung of the steel ladder. Rinoa became worried as the ladder vibrated unsteadily as Squall traveled from rung to rung. The worry ended as Squall returned to the ground.  
  
"Squall I'm so glad!" Rinoa approached Squall and hugged him. "What did you see up there?"  
  
"A lighthouse," he muttered. Squall and Rinoa raced back to the taxi driver who was ordered to wait for the couple at the bottom of the cliff.  
  
"To the lighthouse!" Rinoa ordered as she climbed into the taxi.  
  
"Which lighthouse? There are six of them in Dollet," the driver said.  
  
"Oh crap," Squall pulled his head out of the taxi leaving Rinoa behind.  
  
"Squall, where are you going? Are you going back to the tower? You can't!" Rinoa shouted at her boyfriend but it landed on deaf ears as Squall was already on top   
  
of the cliff. After about twenty minutes, Squall surfaced from the tower and paced back to an unhappy looking Rinoa.  
  
"It's a lighthouse on an island," Squall said to the driver. The driver then turned on the engine and the car started to move.  
  
"Squall don't try to do it again. The ladder looked unstable and you could be squashed like a bug," Rinoa muttered not facing Squall who was tilting his head in resting position. "And make sure that when you do things do it PROPERLY cuz we have long a good deal of time!"  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
***  
  
The instructors and the Trepies stepped off the boat, which transported them to the shore of Rhondia Island.  
  
"Thanks," Xu said as the oarsman helped her to get off the boat. Then, they dashed to the gates of the lighthouse, which was not far away from the point where they disembarked.  
  
"Operation hours 8.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.," Rachel read, then turned to look at her watch. "We're late by 4 hours!"  
  
Daniel then spun around and spotted two recognizable figures in resting position behind the bushes. "Hey, look what I've found guys. It's the jackass and Lord Farquaad!" he said in a high-pitched voice bringing laughter among the group.   
  
Jack then set the T-shirt that covered his head aside and woke up with an unpleasant mood. "I'm not a jackass! You disturbed our sleep!" King then started to squirm and woke up to see the Trepies in front of the pavement where they were napping.  
  
"How long did you guys waited?" Quistis asked, trying to break group CC's bad mood.  
  
"We reached here at about 3.30 and we didn't bother to return to the city cuz we've bought food and it's breezy and comfortable here and there are no monsters or wild animals and all," King explained. Jack then pulled out bags of potato chips from his backpack, which was lying beside him.  
  
"Chips anyone?"  
  
Squall and Rinoa soon arrived at the gates, which was shut from entering the lighthouse compound. The couple then found the three teams sitting in a circling on a pavement, playing some sort of game where a player will have to tell the story of another player.  
  
"My name is Quistis Trepe and during my childhood years I lived with Matron or Edea Kramer in an orphanage with Squall, Seifer, Selphie and Irvine and I studied magic there from Matron. Then in my teenage years I moved to Garden and serviced as a kick-ass instructor! I have a crush on Squall Leonheart since childhood until now but Squall didn't notice me because... ah! I have small tits!" King said sarcastically adding fuel to the laughter among the teams.  
  
"Hey guys!" Rinoa said waiving at the circle.  
  
"Squall, Rinoa, you're here!" Daniel said stretching his arms out to Rinoa.   
  
"We're playing 'Tell about Yourself' and we're going to spend the night here.   
  
And oh yeah we left some chips for you in case if you're coming here."  
  
"No thanks, we've brought our food anyway," Rinoa said kneeling to the empty space along with Squall.  
  
The sun finally sunk into the ocean making the world darker and darker.  
  
"I'm Squall and I'm gay. My gay lover is Seifer who not only sits with me in the cafeteria and feed each other in every meal but we also sleep together stripping off clothes and all and don't forget get that..." Rachel then pressed her lips together to imitate a kiss. Everyone laughed at the silly joke except Squall who was silent since he got here. Suddenly, a strong breeze caught up and it distinguished the fire in the center of the circle.  
  
"Oh dear, the fire's out. Who wants to volunteer to get more firewood?" Jack said, but nobody raised his or her hand. Some looked at Jack and King blankly while some turned to face his or her teammate. Then, Squall was the first person to get up from his seat and walked to Jack.  
  
"I'll get them," Squall said while he went to the backpacks to take his torchlight.  
  
"Squall I'll help!" Quistis got up and approached Squall. The two then disappeared into the dark looking for firewood.  
  
***  
  
The day had finally turned into nightfall as the last train arrived at the Dollet train station. Fujin and Raijin stepped down the train and immediately raced to the taxi, which was in front of their line of sight. After they climbed back into the taxi, Fujin turned on the lights and took out the fast forward information written on green paper from the red envelope.  
  
"Where do you want to go miss?" the driver asked amiably.  
  
"GIUSEPPE III FOREST RESERVE," Fujin ordered.  
  
"Uh are you sure about the fast forward pass?" Raijin asked. "I'm certain that we could survive without the fast forward cuz we're fit and smart and all, ya know."  
  
Fujin jabbed Raijin on the side powerfully causing him a great deal of pain.   
  
"GO!"  
  
The driver immediately released the handbrake and the taxi zoomed into action.   
  
The surrounding roads with streetlights guiding motorists during the night soon turned into a dark and eerie forest trail where there was hardly any light but the full moon, which illuminated above the Dollet night sky.  
  
"Are there werewolves around here?" Raijin muttered in panic as a howl echoed through the thick greenery. The driver soon stopped in front of the forest reserve gate where the duo was meant to be heading to.  
  
"You guys better go to that lodge to spend the night. It's shabby but at least it can protect you from wolves and other animals and monsters and there are rangers around to talk to," the driver said after receiving his pay of 80 gil.   
  
"See, there are werewolves! I told ya it's not a safe place!" Raijin squeaked. Fujin then tugged Raijin painfully by the ear to the shabby cabin nearby.  
  
In the mean time, Selphie and Seifer arrived at the communications tower, which was closed for the night.  
  
"Wanna camp here for the night?" Selphie suggested. Seifer did not hesitate to nod yes. After collecting firewood, Selphie and Seifer retreated to a   
  
dilapidated but cozy shed and built their campfire. Selphie and Seifer then huddled together by the warmth of the flame. Selphie laid her head on Seifer's chest in deep sleep while Seifer embraced her, staying awake on the lookout for monsters and wild animals.  
  
Zell, Irvine, Matron and Dr. Kadowaki in the other hand decided to sleep on the benches of the Town Square but were soon chased away by the police and they were forced to stay in a motel. They combined their money to pay for a room with two beds and a shower and stay there together. The two ladies dozed soundly on the beds after a hot shower while Zell and Irvine spread out their sleeping bags to sleep on the floor and they snoozed peacefully.  
  
***  
  
Squall and Quistis both ventured deeper into the bushes to look for more firewood. Suddenly, Squall felt a warm touch on his butt and in reaction he released all the firewood that he collected in his arms and turned his torchlight to light Quistis' face, and then moved the beam along her arm to see her hand rubbing his back.  
  
"What are you doing?" Squall rebuked.  
  
"Oh sorry, I think I lost my composure," Quistis removed her hands instantly after Squall's words. Then Quistis looked at Squall with her torchlight beam hitting Squall's face. "Anything about Rinoa today?"  
  
"Why did you ask that?" Squall turned away from the blinding flash and paced back and forth around her. "Did you saw me kissing Rinoa at the lake this afternoon?"  
  
"Of course, even the townspeople and Daniel and Rachel did. I mean not to ponder about your privacy but do your feelings toward Rinoa are ever sincere? And did she even cared about you when you're in trouble in the streets of Timber?" Quistis sounded to challenge Squall's beliefs. Squall then turned away from Quistis rambling. "Whatever!"  
  
"Rinoa and I," Squall began slowly, "had a fight since we arrived at Dollet." Squall turned to Quistis and in an instant he dropped his torchlight and kissed Quistis on the lips under the moonlight. Quistis began to be filled with pleasure as she pressed her lips nearer to Squall's and stroked his back.  
  
"Oh my goodness!!" a soft thud then sounded signaling Quistis and Squall to depart from their lips and jerked away from each other. The light from Rinoa's torch shined at the confused looking couple. "Oh sorry for distracting. But we're getting worried and Squall honey, did you get the firewood?"  
  
"One more," Squall said while picking up the firewood he gathered and his torchlight with Quistis' help.  
  
In the darkness, Squall, Quistis and Rinoa were seen in their torches heading towards the camp with even portions of firewood in their arms.  
  
"What happened?" Jack asked and began to sound flirtatious. "Something romantic was going on? It's a full moon out there ya know."  
  
"Nothing, and shut up!" the three chanted in unison.  
  
***  
  
Seifer felt a vibration in his shoulder.  
  
"Who's that?" Seifer struggled to open his eyes and saw Selphie resting peacefully by his side and in front of him stood an old man in grey uniform leaning at him in front of the charred firewood.  
  
"Good morning sir," he started. "Had a nice nap?"  
  
"What's your problem," Seifer said nastily, rubbing his eyes to keep them awake.  
  
"Sorry to disturb but it's already morning and if you're one of those racers you can come inside the tower to have some coffee."  
  
"Thank you sir," Seifer said, then he felt a movement beside him.  
  
"Mm? Is it morning already?" Selphie rose up from the ground stretching her arms.  
  
"By the way, you two looked like the most intimate couple I've ever seen in my whole life," he said sarcastically, which made Seifer reply with by squinting his eyes in an unfriendly manner.  
  
Seifer and Selphie looked up at the top of the turret where the 'Lost King', with its antenna pointing towards the sky, was situated with their arms hugging themselves to warm them from the cold morning wind.  
  
"I'll climb," Selphie climbed up a rung as her grey cardigan and her hair fluttered freely to the wind. "Wow, this is truly breathtaking!" Selphie cheered as she gazed at the sunrise, which colours the whole town in gold. She first aligned her sight with the direction of the antenna and slowly tilted it downwards, until the sea was in full view. And across the sea off the Dollet coast, she could easily see their next destination.  
  
"It's a lighthouse!"  
  
***  
  
Fujin found herself in an unusual morning ache. She opened her one eye and found Raijin's red-skinned hand lying on top of her abdomen. She took away the hand angrily and turned to see Raijin sleeping soundly with his back facing beside her on the same mattress.  
  
"Oh my god, did we have sex?" she thought. "WAKE UP!!" Her voice trembled in the dilapidated cabin. Raijin then woke up groggily to see Fujin looking at him sternly with her hands akimbo to her jeans.  
  
"Morning Fujin," he said sleepily, taking the sweatshirt, which served as a blanket for the night, from his back and began to wear it. "By the way, what time is it?"  
  
Fujin started to blush. But then she shook her head and perked up her voice. "SIX FORTY-ONE!"  
  
It was seven o'clock in the morning as Fujin and Raijin waited for the rangers to open the gates completely as they gulped down their warm morning beverage.  
  
"The forest's all yours!" the ranger said ushering the duo to enter the forest.   
  
The forest was alive with the twitter of birds and the squeak of the chipmunks and so on, which made the harmonious music of the forest.  
  
"What are we looking for?" Raijin asked as he trekked the forest. "I don't wanna hang around here in this eerie forest for too long ya know."  
  
"WIMP!" Fujin hissed, leading Raijin into the woods. "We're looking for a creature called Mr. Monkey who will lead us to the Fast Forward pass."  
  
"How does this Mr. Monkey look like?" Raijin asked. "I gotta know so I can lend a hand ya know."  
  
"Probably furry and has a tail," Fujin replied sarcastically.  
  
"You mean this critter over here?" Raijin arched downwards to pick up a squirrel eating its acorn by the tail. The squirrel waved its paws hysterically trying to scratch Raijin's nose. "Aren't ya an adorable one."  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin kicked Raijin on the ankle causing the squirrel to drop and land on the leaves and then scurried away with its acorn.  
  
"Aw come on, if it wasn't Mr. Monkey I'll keep it as a pet!" Raijin said stupidly. "Oops, I forgot that you don't like fur in your apartment."  
  
"Do you know how a monkey looks like in a first place?"  
  
"Uh... furry and has a tail?" Raijin answered dumbly.  
  
"He looks exactly like YOU! You boorish, dumb, sorry excuse for a disciplinary committee FOOL!!!" Fujin screamed, which initiated a rustle in the woods Fujin could clearly hear with her sensitive hearing.  
  
"Something's coming," Fujin whispered and motioned her finger at Raijin to keep quiet. The rustling sound drew near and, from nowhere, a white-faced monkey with black fur appeared on top of Raijin's head.  
  
"You SUCK!!" Mr. Monkey chattered and jigged.  
  
Raijin's blood started to boil and silently raised his hands towards the head.   
  
"Stupid monkey!!" Two large palms appeared in front of Mr. Monkey and he jumped off just before they crashed on the head. Fujin then took out her hand and deftly caught the monkey by the tail.  
  
"PASS, WHERE!"  
  
"Okay, okay!" the monkey said when a grinning Fujin lifted him up from the ground. "You don't suck okay? I take back my word for it! Let me down and I'll lead you to the hidden treasure."  
  
Fujin released her grip and Mr. Monkey fell on the dirt with a thud. The duo followed the monkey to a bush where Mr. Monkey pulled out the green Fast Forward   
  
Pass from it. "Good luck and don't SUCK!!"  
  
"Oh so now I remember how a monkey look like," Raijin said.  
  
"CONGRATULATIONS! You have claimed the Fast Forward, and now head to the next pit stop, Lord Denithera's Castle in the outskirts of Dollet." Fujin stopped reading and turned to the confused looking Raijin.  
  
Raijin mumbled, "Uh, I think we're lost."  
  
***  
  
Rinoa suddenly woke up from a nightmare. In her dream, she saw Squall and Quistis jogging together along the sands of the beach of Rhondia Island like a perfect couple more intimate than Squall and herself. And it skipped to the next scene, where she was invited to the top of the Belle Lighthouse. The room was all newly painted in white with shades of pink and at the balcony, which was decorated lavishly with fabrics and flowers lie Squall and Quistis, in their wedding clothes, kissing at each other like the night before. Squall then turned from Quistis to Rinoa, sneering at her.  
  
"Come here darling," he said. Rinoa just followed Squall's order and the next thing that she could not imagine, Squall pulled her by the arm and swung her to the aisle. Rinoa then tumbled over the railing and dangled. Quistis was then seen grinning as she lifted up Rinoa's finger one by one, causing Rinoa to fall into a bottomless pit of doom eventually.  
  
"Squall, wake up!!" Rinoa shook Squall's body violently causing him to wake up angrily.  
  
"Rinoa! It's still 7 in the morning. Don't get too excited okay?" Squall said and fell back to his resting position.  
  
"Squall I had the most terrible dream! Don't you care about me?" Rinoa jabbered in panic, causing Squall to rise up again.  
  
"Okay, I'll calm you down by taking a walk by the beach," Squall said.  
  
It was already 8 in the morning and the four teams waited impatiently for the workers to open the gate. In front of them was the Belle Lighthouse, with its white complexion glossing under the morning sun. Presently, Seifer and Selphie were seen jostling towards them.  
  
"Oh we're right on time!" Selphie exclaimed, out of breath.  
  
"The gay lover has returned to see Squall!" Jack said sarcastically.  
  
"What?" Seifer voiced abruptly at Jack who turned away from Seifer, whistling to himself, which was followed by a jab in the chest by King.  
  
The gate flew open and the five teams raced to the stairs and climbed it one person at a time. Selphie, huffing and puffing reached the balcony of the lighthouse first and pulled out an envelope from the clue box.  
  
"ROADBLOCK!" Selphie hollered, reading the first word that popped out from the envelope. "Before opening this, choose someone who wants to be on top of the world."  
  
As Seifer surfaces from the stairwell, Selphie approached Seifer excitedly.   
  
"Woohoo! I'm going to bungee-jump!"  
  
Seifer looked down from the balcony and saw waves crashing onto the rocks below.   
  
"Selphie are you sure you'll be okay? You could kill yourself!"  
  
"Don't worry I've seen people doing this in TV and nobody got killed. Besides I'm not jump down that balcony, I'm going to jump from the roof of the lighthouse and hopefully land on something soft or you go and get me at the littoral." Selphie explained and disappeared into another set of stairs, which will take her to the roof. Seifer looked back at the rocks below the balcony and began to feel nauseous and woozy.  
  
Selphie was now standing on the roof, which looked like a flat red disc sitting on the tip of the lighthouse. The wind made her hair and blouse fluttered freely as she stretched out her arms perpendicularly to her body. "Woohoo! I'm the king... err... queen of the world!" she cried at the view of Balamb Continent, which looked like a tiny green isle from afar. Below her was a series of rocks jutting out of the ocean sounding to the beating of the waves. A cliff ran down straightly to the tiny littoral below. That will be her target. At the littoral, Seifer, Squall, Xu, Rachel and Jack tilted their heads upward to stare at the tip of the lighthouse.  
  
"Selphie!" Seifer yelled as the wind began to pick up. Selphie then looked down at Seifer, who looked like a tiny dot from above. She then fastened the crash helmet to her head, and her arms stretched out perpendicular to her body.  
  
"I'm ready!" she gave a thumb up but she knew Seifer would not be able to see it. She then took in one big breath heavily. "Here goes."   
  
Selphie started to close her eyes and tilted her body. The sensation of free falling and the air rushing against her skin caused her eyes to open. Selphie screamed until the elastic bungee-cord pulled her back when she was found hanging a few inches from ground level. Seifer pushed away the operators to help Selphie to gain her footing on the ground.  
  
"Oh I feel dizzy," Selphie said waving her head in circular motion. She then came back to her senses and received a red-coloured envelope from the operators.  
  
"You have proven yourself to be king or queen of the world! Proceed to the next pit stop, Lord Denithera's Castle in the outskirts of Dollet!" Selphie said excitedly while waving the paper back and forth.  
  
"See you at the bottom," Quistis, who was the next person to bungee-jump, said to Rinoa. After a few minutes, Quistis was seen flying in the air from the lookout point where the other three people anticipated for their turn to dive.  
  
"Last person to check in will be eliminated!" Quistis stressed out as Xu and she blasted through the pack for a boat back to the Dollet beach. Squall then turned to the top of the lighthouse with his hand shielding his eyes from the morning sun. Rinoa climbed up the ladder, which connected the cramped lookout point to the lofty tip of the lighthouse. After fixing the bungee-cord to her legs and wearing her safety gear, Rinoa then looked down at the waves hitting the rocks below the lighthouse. The sound of the crashing waves made the sickness in Rinoa grew stronger.  
  
"Oh my goodness, she needs help," Squall thought after seeing the dot shied back to the center of the roof. Squall did not hesitate to push away the other people to get back to the lighthouse.  
  
"Sir you can't..." the operator's warning was interrupted when Squall pushed him aside from blocking the passageway to the stairs.  
  
"Rinoa, you can do it!" a voice rang in Rinoa's mind.  
  
"No, remember the dream? You'll die if you fall," another voice retaliated.  
  
Squall neared Rinoa who was hiding her head in her knees at the center of the circle. Rinoa sensed his presence and turned to his fluttering black hair in tears.  
  
"Squall I'm scared!" Rinoa muttered as Squall pulled her up from the floor.   
  
Then, with one powerful force, Squall pushed Rinoa to the edge of the rooftop until she tilted and fell. Rinoa's scream echoed through the air and she fell choppily to the littoral below.  
  
"Hey what's that?" Zell, who was sitting in a speedboat ride with Irvine to the island, said as he saw a figure diving in the air with a rope connected to the tip of the lighthouse. Zell and Irvine then faced each other in excitement.  
  
"BUNGEE-JUMPING!"   
  
Rinoa opened her eyes to see herself lying on the sand as the task operators undid the knot around her legs. Then she heard Squall's heavy footsteps, which vibrated the sand of the beach.  
  
"Squall why did you do that?" Rinoa cried. "You almost got me killed."  
  
Squall did not say anything to soothe Rinoa. After reading the clue, they took a boat back to the beach and then they climbed into a taxi.  
  
"Squall you could've killed me," Rinoa could not pull back her tears as she expressed her fear to deaf ears. After an abrupt sniffle, she motioned her head to rest on Squall's chest and sobbed some more. The tears wetted Squall's black shirt, which made him more embarrassed when people were starting to stare at them.  
  
"Get us out of here," he said snidely to the driver and the car sped off.  
  
***  
  
Cid Kramer was waiting for the teams to arrive at the square of Lord Denithera's Castle, a walled city and fortress that was built over 200 years ago after the kingdom of Dollet came into the rule of the dukes by Lord Denithera, the first duke of the new parliament. The sun moved upward to shine on Fujin's eye patch, who was running with Raijin towards Headmaster Cid, unstrapping and leaving their backpacks at the entrance of the square.  
  
An old woman in medieval Dolletian clothing started to motion as Fujin and Raijin thudded on the mat. "Bonjour and welcome to Dollet."  
  
"Fujin and Raijin," Cid began, "You're team number one!"  
  
Raijin then breathed deeply in relief. "Glad it paid when we got lost in that forest, ya know."  
  
"Wow, it's so pretty that it looks like it came out of a storybook!" Selphie said as she admired the brick red-coloured castle standing proudly on top of a hill with four great turrets. The road soon turned bumpy as the taxi traveled up the slope to the front gate of the fortress. Across the moat stood Cid Kramer expecting Seifer and Selphie's arrival.  
  
"Seifer and Selphie, you're team number two," Cid told the team who turned into an uproar of euphoria.  
  
Meanwhile, Zell just could not wait to go for the dive. However, as he looked down at the dots of people and the sharp rocks outside the littoral, which was about 1000 feet from the roof, the gastric juices started to build making Zell feeling sick and woozy and wanting to throw up. Irvine gaped as he saw Zell retreating in vertigo.  
  
"Dude, are you all right?" he shouted but the voice barely reached to the top of the lighthouse. Zell then started to think about Seifer. If he were here waiting for the jump he would profusely call him a chicken-wuss and people will start laughing at him. The picture of Seifer standing in front of him mouthing 'chicken-wuss' at Zell came to his mind like thunder.  
  
"I'm not a chicken-wuss!!" Zell ran to the edge of the roof and soared into the air. Then, the gravitational forces pulled Zell towards the littoral causing him to feel the thrill of free fall.  
  
"Wahoo!" Zell howled as he bounced up and down after he had reached ground level. Then it was Matron's turn to dive.  
  
"Don't let it get to you!" Dr. Kadowaki yelled at Matron who was climbing to the roof. After wearing the safety gear, Matron neared the edge of the roof, closed her eyes, and made her once-of-a-lifetime jump, which would haunt her memories forever.  
  
"Oh my goodness, I can't believe I did that!" Matron exclaimed as she was laid on the ground. Dr. Kadowaki started to worry after reading the clue.  
  
"Come on girl. We've got to go and lead the boys or else we'll be eliminated!"  
  
***  
  
"Rachel and Daniel, you're team number six."  
  
Rachel and Daniel cried out in relief after Cid auspiciously announced the result. Cid then waited again patiently for the arrival of the last two teams.   
  
Soon, the sound of car brakes screeched and a taxi stopped abruptly in front of the moat gate. A person with stand-up hair and a face tattoo stepped out of the taxi.   
  
"We're ready to hear it," Irvine said after he stepped in front of Cid huffing and puffing, wrapping his arm around his pardner. Cid paused for a while until Zell and Irvine stopped huffing.  
  
"Zell and Irvine," Cid paused again to build up the anxiety in the team. "You're team number seven!"  
  
After hearing the ear-soothing news, Zell and Irvine hugged and roared together in joy. Zell then spoke to Cid happily.  
  
"The next you'll know we'll be winning the one million gil!"  
  
Matron and Dr. Kadowaki were soon seen running towards to Town Square. The two women hugged from shoulder to shoulder and stomped on the mat together.  
  
"We're here finally hubby," Matron said to her husband, totally out of breath but smiling.  
  
"Edea and Dr. Kadowaki, the students back at Balamb Garden really missed you since day one, but I'm sorry to tell that you both have been eliminated from the race. And we'll be sending you two back shortly," Cid informed half-hearted.  
  
Edea then fell her head on Dr. Kadowaki's shoulder and sobbed. The infirmary lady tried to comfort in her own words.  
  
"I know it's hard to accept but we'll have to face the fact that we're in competition with teams who are younger and fitter than us."  
  
Matron then lifted her head up and wiped off her tears. "Honey, can you give our regards to Zell and Irvine 'cause they have been good with us lately?"  
  
Matron and Dr. Kadowaki half-heartedly entered the vehicle, which will take them back to Dollet to board a Balamb bound vessel. At the deck of the ship, Matron and Dr. Kadowaki set their eyes at the city and its five lighthouses for the last time so far, leaving the thrills of the race for good but the memories will still remain in their hearts. 


	4. Eat Your Way to the Fast Forward

Eat your Way to the Fast Forward  
  
--------------------------------  
  
"TIRED," Fujin muttered to herself weakly as she flung herself on the mattress.   
  
"No shower, dusty and old bedrooms, lousy dinner and wine," she complained and sneezed when a particle of dust entered her nostrils. Light crept into the window as Raijin opened the door lightly to reveal himself, with two mugs of hot cocoa in his hand.  
  
"Got them for free ya know," Raijin said handing the steamy hot drink to Fujin. Fujin sipped in the warm liquid and it comforted her aches a little.  
  
"NOW," Fujin rose up from the bed after finishing the beverage. "LAST NIGHT! DID   
  
WE?"  
  
"Uh, I think we should pack up," Raijin interrupted placing his mug on the dresser and walked to the backpacks. For the first time Fujin gazed at Raijin differently, showing some kind of strange fondness in her eye.  
  
"Sefie, what kind of potion did you give to Seifer?" Irvine asked Selphie who turned her head to see Seifer isolating himself sitting on a bench in resting position across the table.  
  
"Irvine, we just got together naturally that's all," Selphie explained briefly in her cheery voice, stretching her arms to the side. "You know I bet this race has some sort of positive effect on everyone's relationship with each other!"  
  
"Tell that to Rinoa, and I bet that she'll yell your head off," Zell said, waving his knife elliptically. Zell, Selphie and Irvine arched towards each other closely. "I bet they're about to break up," Zell whispered.  
  
"Why?" Selphie asked. She raised her head and turned to look at Squall and Rinoa, sitting side by side on the same bench with their heads down in deep thought not talking and laughing each other like they used to. Xu and Quistis passed by the couple and Squall lifted his head up to see Quistis smiling at him. Rinoa then jabbed his side with her elbow, forming words in her lips Selphie could vaguely make out: "Don't look at that witch." Selphie then turned to Irvine and Zell. "Well I gotta cheer Seifer up!"   
  
The day soon turned to darkness and the 200 fortress was soon adorned with fairy lights, making it visible for tourists and passersby to gaze at the marvel of the castle under the night sky. It also served as a peaceful place for couples, who want be in their romantic privacy. It was 8.31 p.m. and Fujin and Raijin, armed with their backpacks to the check-in point to claim the next clue.  
  
"La bonne chance, and may the old kings of Dollet be with you," the woman handed the scarlet envelope to Fujin.  
  
"MERCI," Fujin then ripped open the envelope. "Fly to Deling City and find Julia Heartilly. You have 550 gil for this leg of the race," Raijin said reading the clue with Fujin close to his shoulder. The duo then started to walk to the main gate of the castle.  
  
"So how are we going to get to the airport?" Raijin asked.  
  
"CALL TAXI!" Fujin exclaimed pointing her finger at the row of phone booths, which was standing near a tree outside the castle gates.  
  
"Mm hmm... okay..." Raijin snapped the receiver back to its holder and took out his phone card from the slot. "Taxi will be coming in about 20 minutes, the guy on the phone said." He started to sound perplex, "I don't get it, how come we're looking for Rinoa's dead mom who was not buried in Deling City anyway?"  
  
"FOOL! Don't you watch the travel guide on TV?" Fujin hissed. "PIANO IN GALBADIA HOTEL LOUNGE."  
  
"Oh!" Raijin exclaimed.  
  
Fujin and Raijin's taxi arrived in front of them and they climbed into taxi, which will take them to the Jean Pierrot Airport.  
  
Quistis ripped open the envelope and read the clue with Xu. "Fly to Deling   
  
City."  
  
"Ooh, that sounds ritzy!" Xu exclaimed. "Isn't that Rinoa's hometown?"  
  
"Yeah," Quistis sighed as they walked to the exit. "We'll be in dead competition."  
  
At 9.11 p.m., after about 10 minutes the instructors had left the check-in point, Squall and Rinoa arrived to get their clue with unhappy faces.  
  
"Bonne chance," the woman wished as Squall was counting the money they received from the clue. Squall and Rinoa arose from the brightly-lit fortress to see Quistis and Xu waiting beside the phone booths.  
  
"Sorry, we didn't arrange a taxi for you guys," Quistis confessed waving her hands back and forth.  
  
"Fine, I know what you're thinking," Rinoa said striding to the middle booth, dragging Squall with her.  
  
Soon, two lights appeared from the darkness and the taxis screeched in front of the two couples. Quistis and Xu climbed into their taxi first and left the castle, with Squall and Rinoa following them from behind.  
  
"Wow, it looks beautiful from here," Xu said watching the castle dwindling into a small dim light.  
  
"Honey, how come you're not excited going back to Deling City?" Squall asked shaking the arm of his girlfriend lightly and smiled. "Got a run-in with your dad before you joined the race?"  
  
Rinoa then reacted by pulling her arm from Squall's grip nastily. "Squall, promise me that you won't go with that bitch alone in some place." Subsequently, Rinoa started to produce tears in her eyes and she could not contain the anger in her anymore and rebuked. "I saw you two kissing each other the other night!"  
  
"Kissing?" Squall perplexed. "You didn't mean..."  
  
"Yes, you two were together and I'm a witness you know that?" Rinoa cried and turned away from Squall.  
  
"Honey, you've misunderstood about everything. It's probably dark and you're imagining things and..."  
  
Rinoa soon interrupted by turning back at Squall. "It was not dark. It was a full moon and I brought a goddamn flashlight with me!"  
  
"Hey calm down. You're disturbing the spirits of the dead kings and dukes," the driver said. "We're driving through their tombs you know?"  
  
"Forget it and we might as well concentrate on the race!" Rinoa threw her arm in the air and turned her head facing the window. In her mind, she now felt really bad having to fight with her boyfriend. She would not fight with him for the meantime but she will have to brave herself against her new and greatest enemy, Quistis Trepe.  
  
Fujin and Raijin entered the newly built Jean Pierrot Airport in awe.  
  
"Wow, this is way cooler than Balamb's," Raijin exclaimed savouring the cold air hitting his face.  
  
"IMPRESSIVE," Fujin muttered, holding hands with Raijin, while they both admired the beams, which were carved into the former dukes of Dollet with their hands reaching to the center of the roof.   
  
"HURRY, TICKETS!" Fujin and Raijin raced to the ticket booths, bumping into a few tourists who cursed back at them. The first booth that came to their mind mutually was Dollet Air.  
  
"DELING CITY! FASTEST PLANE! COACH!" Fujin said to the man in airliner uniform behind the counter fiddling the keyboard of his computer.  
  
"Okay, we have two seats heading directly to Deling City, no connections, leaving at 10.30 tonight. And here are your tickets, ma'am," the man handed the newly printed tickets to Fujin and Raijin. Both of them slapped each others palm with a high-five. After a few minutes, Fujin vaguely spotted a blonde man in a black Skull sweatshirt walking through the automatic doorways among the crowd. Fujin then turned to the man and began to speak in fluent Dolletian.  
  
"Pouvez-vous me faire une faveur? Ne laissez pas un homme portant un sweatshirt noir de crâne et une fille dans l'achat jaune les billets dix-trente à Deling City. Je suis désolé si je vous obtenais dans l'ennui." Fujin bribed by giving a 100-gil note to the man. Seifer then arrived dragging Selphie to the Dollet Air counter.  
  
"Got any single tickets heading to Deling City tonight?" Seifer asked.  
  
"Sorry sir, we've ran out of tickets to Deling City today," the man replied with a grin, which made Seifer banged the counter with his fist angrily.  
  
"C'mon Seifer. There are other counters to go to," Selphie pleaded tugging Seifer's arm. Seifer and Selphie finally booked a 'Timber Airlines' flight, which will leave thirty minutes later from Fujin and Raijin's, taking them to   
  
Timber and then connect to Vinzer Deling Airport. Quistis and Xu and Squall and Rinoa soon arrived and bought the similar flight.  
  
"Fujin, teach me some Dolletian ya know?" Raijin said to Fujin who was lying on the bench swinging her legs back and forth.  
  
"Leçons de prise, IMBÉCILE!" Fujin said grinning.  
  
At 10 o'clock, Rachel and Daniel and Jack and King arrived at the airport followed by Zell and Irvine fifteen minutes later. Rachel and Daniel booked the last direct flight to Deling City by Dollet Air, while Jack and King and Zell and Irvine motioned with frustration as all the flights had been sold out for the night.  
  
"What the fu..." Zell angered throwing his backpack on the shiny marble floor, while Rachel and Daniel scrolled through the Deling City travel booklet waiting for the plane."  
  
"There it is, Julia Heartilly's piano, 'Julia Heartilly' in the Galbadia Hotel lounge," Rachel said pointing at the middle of the page.  
  
Fujin rose up as she saw Seifer striding towards the duo's bench.  
  
"Fujin, how are ya!" Seifer drawled but his voice soon became hostile. "I thought we were allies and you bribed the man to hide the stinking tickets from me?" The furious voice of Seifer's soon drew a crowd and parts of it began to circle around him.   
  
"Hey, what's going on?" Zell squeezed through the crowd to see Seifer and Fujin exchange glances.  
  
"TRAITOR! FUJIN DO THE SAME," Fujin hissed at Seifer who was glowing red by the minute.  
  
"You bitch!" Seifer raved and lunged at Fujin with his hands in striking position. Then he grabbed onto Fujin's shoulder and strangled her by the neck. Immediately, Seifer fell to the ground, in front of the crowd, uselessly in pain after a punch in the stomach by Raijin.  
  
"Are you okay, Fujin?" Raijin said to Fujin who was rubbing her neck to soothe the bruise.  
  
"POSITIVELY FINE. THANK YOU," Fujin replied, then she walked to Seifer who was still squirming and curling his body in pain.  
  
"Fujin, what are you trying do?" Selphie said, crouching beside Seifer trying to protect him from more of Fujin's attacks. "I thought you three were supposed to be posses."  
  
"SEIFER," Seifer then turned his head facing Fujin's eye patch. "FROM NOW ON, POSSES NO MORE!" The lightning between Seifer and Fujin began to grow and spark uncontrollably and suddenly the chain of lightning exploded and broke apart, causing Seifer to be in deep shock.  
  
"Fine, this is the second time you've double-crossed me Fujin. Now I've had it with you," Seifer said, then turned to Raijin who looked a little worried. "And you too, you ape."   
  
"Dollet Air flight 578-D has arrived at Gate 3 heading to Deling City and leaving at 10.30 p.m. All passengers who are boarding this flight are advised to go to the plane as soon as possible." After heeding the message, Fujin and Raijin slung their backpacks to their shoulders and ran to the gate, leaving Seifer behind with Selphie trying to nurse his pain.  
  
"I'm sorry Instructor Trepe that we did not buy you tickets," Rachel said hugging Quistis. "See you at Deling City."  
  
After 10.30, the plane moved and then soared into the air, beginning its journey to Deling City. Fujin and Raijin tilted their seats to a sixty degree incline in resting position with sleeping masks covering their eyes, while Rachel and Daniel were savouring some free Dollet white wine.  
  
"Here's to the race and for Instructor Trepe," Daniel said knocking his wineglass with a ding at Rachel's and sipped in the wine, which was cooling that it soothed his throat.  
  
Thirty minutes later at 11.00, Seifer and Selphie, Squall and Rinoa and Quistis and Xu boarded the Timber-bound flight hastily. The six people in the plane were such in a cold mood, there were hardly any conversations taking place before the plane took off.  
  
"I thought they were your best pals Seifer," Selphie said in worry. "If you don't make up with them, you'll probably have no one to be with you."  
  
"Shut up, I'm trying to sleep," Seifer whined in aggravation and turned his head towards the wall trying to close his eyes.  
  
Quistis, Xu, Squall and Rinoa sat together on the same row of seats, with Rinoa beside the window followed by Squall, Quistis and Xu. Rinoa was so frustrated and aggravated at Squall who was sitting strategically with Quistis, who were talking each other about Balamb Garden activities over a bottle of Dolletian white wine.  
  
"Rinoa, would you like to have some wine honey?" Squall said, stroking the cold and smooth wineglass on Rinoa's surfaced.  
  
"No, I'm not drinking that wine cuz there could be Quistis' saliva on the mouth of the bottle, and Dollet sucks," Rinoa mumbled nastily, trying to get some rest. She then eventually fell asleep  
  
***  
  
The 1-hour flight was a completely stressful trip for Seifer as he yawned profusely down the corridor. Rinoa also did the same. She could not forget the new nightmare she had encountered in her sleep in the plane. It was set in the recognizable dark sewers of Deling City. She was wearing a sanitary suit and holding a flashlight venturing through the sewers. Suddenly, the light hit something shining and a shadowy figure bumped on to her until she fell and the flashlight fell into the water.  
  
"Squall's mine!" the figure uttered proudly and starting laughing diabolically.   
  
Then, the figure slapped Rinoa on the cheek profusely until her jaw felt sore.   
  
Subsequently, the figure kicked Rinoa and she rolled into the river, then trying to drown her by immersing her head into the murky water by force. The dream I had had a connection with the one in Dollet, Rinoa thought. Am I psychic? Oh yeah, I'm a sorceress so its normal for me to have vague visions of what's to come anyway. Is my 'sorceress sense' telling me about what's going to happen? Well the jump was real and Quistis nearly killed me by stealing my boyfriend.   
  
From that moment, a crafty idea came to Rinoa like a thunderbolt. She just had the most wonderful plan to rid Quistis for good.  
  
"Rinoa, why are you grinning?" Squall asked as he walked down the aisle. Rinoa then turned to Squall in her normal expression.  
  
"Nothing," Rinoa said briefly. "I want to do the next Roadblock."  
  
"Are you sure honey?" Squall started to sound concerned. "You almost freaked yourself at the lighthouse jump."  
  
"I'm fine and through with it mister," Rinoa growled coldly, then turned her head back to its original position.  
  
"Attention passengers, flight 435-TT to Deling City has been delayed until tomorrow morning. We apologize for the inconvenience."  
  
"Oh god, this I gotta check out," Xu said in worry. She ran to the end of the gate corridor until the flight information board was in front of her. The slot beside the Deling City flight turned to delay. Then she signaled the others to wait at the departure hall and she burst to the other gate. Twenty minutes later, Xu came to Quistis huffing and puffing.  
  
"We're dead. Our flight is really delayed," Xu said in disappointment, which was followed by a huge sigh by other people who were supposed to board the flight.  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin and Rachel and Daniel stepped on the escalator of the Deling City Underground Station to the surface. The view of the Deling City Gateway and the surrounding spotlights with Galbadian symbols appeared in front of them.  
  
"Wow, it looked better than in the map!" Rachel said in awe of the largest and most crowded city in Galbadia and presently the clock fountain in front of them struck twelve in midnight.  
  
The taxi soon brought Fujin and Raijin to the splendor of the shopping arcades, a street filled with lights far more extravagant than the ones in Timber and shops and boutiques offering exotic and state-of-the-art wares and fashion. Then a few blocks away lies the tallest building of the street, the Galbadia Hotel, where the legendary singer and performer Julia Heartilly did her first piano debut in the lounge of the hotel. Fujin and Raijin stepped down the taxi and soon Rachel and Daniel's taxi arrived. The four then walked down the stairs and into the lounge, located at the basement level of the hotel. The lounge was filled with businessmen and rich couples sipping their Champaign and cocktail on small round tables with a single flickering candle on the center and the talking and laughing was accompanied by soft and sentimental music, mostly by Julia. At the left side of the lounge from the stairs was a stage, now served as a gallery of Julia's photographs, record covers and music sheets of her works. And at the center of the stage was Julia's piano. Only the best singers and performers can perform on the stage since Julia's untimely death, which consequently made her one of the legends in music history. Fujin and Raijin searched the framed photographs on the wall while Rachel and Daniel investigated the piano and an old gramophone.  
  
"Hey, check this out," Raijin said to Fujin pointing to a picture. "Here's a picture of Rinoa with her mother and General Caraway."  
  
"What, you mean Rinoa's mother is Julia Heartilly?" Daniel exclaimed as he fiddled around the items lying around the platform where the gramophone was placed on.  
  
"AS IF YOU DON'T KNOW," Fujin hissed.  
  
Rachel then went to the piano bench and folded the seat open with a creaky sound. It was not dusty and full of cobwebs as Rachel expected since the hotel staff kept great care of Julia's treasures. The numbers 2,3:1 appeared on the other side of the cushion seat, while the shallow compartment below was empty.  
  
"Daniel, come here, check what I found!" Rachel said in a soft voice and tried to attract Daniel's attention by widening her eyes and a motion in her hand.   
  
Daniel eventually stopped searching the platform and turned to Rachel. Daniel then helped Rachel to solve the numbers, which were ambiguous at first but eventually a thing comes to their minds.  
  
"Garden rule code 2 section 3:1, if you're in trouble seek help at the nearest   
  
Garden," Daniel said. Rachel then snapped her finger and smiled.  
  
"Galbadia Garden."  
  
Fujin and Raijin unraveled the code as well and followed Rachel and Daniel's taxi, which is heading to Galbadia Garden.  
  
***  
  
All was not lost as Squall and Rinoa, Seifer and Selphie and Quistis and Xu boarded the late night train from Timber to Deling City.  
  
"To our new alliance," Seifer commenced holding his drink high in the air, followed by the others. Squall turned to Rinoa whose face carved a hideous frown.  
  
"Cheer up Rinoa," Squall said trying to break Rinoa's ice. Then he neared his lips at Rinoa's ear, whispering, "Let's have our private time together in the empty coach shall we?"  
  
Rinoa soon lifted the weighty frown and revived her beauty as she smiled like a sphinx. The couple rose from the table and walked together to the empty part of the train. Soon, the dark surroundings of the meadows and bushes and small towns turned into bright city lights, marking their arrival at the capital of the nation of Galbadia.  
  
"Yay, we're going to see Rinoa's mom!" Selphie cheered.  
  
The late night train ride soon come to a halt as the train screeched at the Deling City Underground Station at 2.31 p.m. The three teams soon surfaced from the station to the view of the Deling City Gateway in front of them.  
  
"Oh, we're here!" Selphie said fondly, remembering the times when she first came to Deling City to carry out a dangerous SeeD mission. "Do you know that Sir   
  
Laguna was actually from Deling City and Julia Heartilly was his first sweetheart?"  
  
Selphie's ranting fell onto Seifer's deaf ears. To him the memories of the city made his heart ached badly.  
  
"Oh sorry Seifer. I forgot that you came here before. But all's never mind cuz you've changed a lot nowadays!" Selphie cheered at the end.  
  
"Yeah," Seifer agreed shyly and rubbed the back of his head.  
  
In Quistis' point of view, the city was enemy territory weakening her charisma over Squall's love, while to Rinoa the city was her backyard. Every recognizable building or monument: the Gateway, the Presidential Residence, her home the Caraway Mansion and Deling City Park strengthened her spirit as she rode the taxi looking out at the sights, which were at the back of her hand.   
  
"I'm home and no way I'm gonna flunk in this leg of the race."  
  
Rinoa and Squall and Quistis and Xu dropped off at the Galbadia Hotel searching Julia Heartilly's piano. They eventually revealed the number code inside the piano bench.  
  
"Squall, do you still remember Garden Code 2 section 3:1?" Quistis asked.  
  
"Get to the nearest Garden when you're in trouble: Galbadia Garden," Squall muttered in his lips.  
  
Meanwhile, Seifer and Selphie walked around the roundabout in front of the gateway asking questions about Julia Heartilly at the scanty pedestrians during the night.   
  
"Do you know where Julia Heartilly is? Hey!" Seifer shouted at the man who ran away from him as he fired his question.  
  
"Does anyone know Julia Heartilly?" Selphie bellowed and her voice echoed throughout the night sky. She then slapped on her hips in disappointment. "It's hopeless. Let's go somewhere where there are more people."  
  
Seifer and Selphie then strolled to the brighter areas. They eventually entered the park area and ahead was the shopping arcade.  
  
"Psst... it's the ex-knight!" a man spoke to his fellow tramp on the bench in the park. Then more people started to notice Seifer's untimely presence, causing lovers to stop kissing and tramps awaken from their rest and moved deeper into the park.  
  
"Does anyone know where Julia Heartilly is?" he shouted to all the pedestrians who soon avoided by running to random directions, as long as they would not be 'cursed' by the knight who once threatened the city alongside Sorceress Edea. Seifer strolled on to the shops where 24-hour shops and convenient stores closed down unusually at Seifer's presence.  
  
"I'm sorry Selphie. I guess the people here are still afraid of me," Seifer said with a huge sigh tilting his head downwards.  
  
"Cheer up Seifer. As long as there was one person in the world that knows you have changed then everything is all right!" Selphie said holding her head high and stretching out her arms as she walked down the silent sidewalk.   
  
Seifer and Selphie soon went into the only building that had not closed down, Galbadia Hotel.  
  
"Ahem excuse me," Seifer said after clearing his throat.  
  
"Just a minute." After finishing his cataloguing work the male receptionist turned up to see Seifer in fright. "Curses it's the Sorceress' minion! Security get him!"  
  
With one flick of the finger, two heavily built security men and a sleepy bellboy came and grabbed Seifer by the arms. Seifer shook his body trying to loosen the grip and then Selphie started to speak up.  
  
"Cut that out! Don't you knuckleheads realise that my boyfriend has changed?" the security men released Seifer from their grip but still keeping a watchful eye on Seifer while the bellboy and the receptionist stood with their eyes and mouths wide open. "Look I know Seifer here was a bad boy those years but people change. Besides he did not harm anyone so far and we're in the middle of the race to get a million moolah. And can anyone here tell me where Julia Heartilly is?"  
  
Everyone else except Seifer soon spoke at each other in a soft murmur.  
  
"I think the knight charmed the girl so that she can speak up to protect the knight," the bellboy said spitefully.   
  
The receptionist hold out his finger not looking at Seifer and Selphie and informed them, "There's a Julia Heartilly gallery in the lounge down there and it's open for twenty-four hours. There were people going down there and came out a short while satisfied."  
  
Selphie thanked shortly and held Seifer's hand to drag him down the stairs. The few remaining patrons and waitresses fled the lounge, leaving their drinks unfinished on the table and dropping empty trays uselessly on the carpeted floor. Selphie then searched the photos of the stage carefully trying not to wreck the gallery of the singer she idolised. Seifer then inspected the polished, dark brown, cherry-wood piano, with Julia's signature printed on the lid of the black and white keyboard, which was left ajar for display. Next, he scrolled to the bench and unfolded the seat, hoping to find envelopes or clues inside its compartment.  
  
"Selphie, there's a number here." Selphie walked to Seifer and examined the number code.  
  
"Does anyone know about the numbers 2,3:1?" Seifer asked the patrons and waitresses who crowded around the receptionist at the top of the spiral staircase.  
  
"Get away from my wife you monster!" a man yelled back protecting his consort, causing Seifer to retreat back to the dimly lighted lounge and bar.  
  
"Hey Seifer I got it!" Selphie said turning to Seifer with the Garden Rulebook in her hand.  
  
"Selphie, you sure carry the weirdest but useful things," Seifer smiled and thought to himself, blushing in embarrassment, "And I thought I remember my rules although I was a disciplinary committee."  
  
***  
  
Seifer and Selphie arrived at Galbadia Garden riding a bribed taxi ride.  
  
"Get out and I don't wanna see your face again!" the taxi driver shooed Seifer and Selphie out of his car, removing their backpacks from the trunk as quickly as possible and climbed back to the car and sped off. Seifer and Selphie walked in the darkness to the bright but shut main entrance of Galbadia Garden, where the four leading teams established their camp, sleeping on the pavement for the night.  
  
"Evening Seifer," Daniel, who was barely asleep opened one eye at Seifer and greeted in a friendly way and pointed to a box on the entrance counter. "The clue is there."  
  
Selphie strode to the box and opened it revealing three envelopes. She took one out and ripped it open.  
  
"Find clues hidden in the auditorium. Galbadia Garden will only open to the public from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 a.m."  
  
***  
  
Zell and Irvine and Jack and King arrived in front of the Deling City Gateway, which was in full splendor under the morning sun.   
  
"It's so noisy and jammed up here," Irvine said in his cowboy slang commenting at the chaotic traffic at the roundabout in front of them. Zell and Irvine decided to walk to their next destination: Area 3 of the Deling City Parklands.  
  
"No use taking the taxi with all that traffic," Irvine said to himself while reading the Fast Forward clue, which read, "Get to a marked picnic table at Area 3 of the Deling City Parklands and eat your way to the fast forward pass."  
  
"There's a flag!" Zell exclaimed huffing and puffing when he saw a wooden table with a blue and yellow flag stuck on to the side. Zell's eyes began to widen as a large pile of food surfaces from the table as they neared it. "HOTDOGS!"  
  
Zell shouted and jumped with joy and ran frantically to the table. The aroma of fresh grilled sausages and the vapour of the steamed buns filled his nostrils and he began to drool like a puppy. Zell reached out his hand to grab the topmost hotdog. He took his first bite and the crunchy sausage burst in his mouth releasing all the meaty goodness. The soft texture of the hotdog bun was a perfect complement to the crunchiness and meatiness of the sausage. And what is more, the hotdog is way better than the one he had back at Balamb Garden. Tears started to flow from Zell's eyes and he smiled in deep happiness.  
  
"This is so much like a dream," Zell exclaimed sentimentally. "Haha! You're all mine. MINE!" Zell then squeezed the rest of his hotdog and cramped it into his mouth and chewed and swallowed it all down. Then, he reached out for another one and stuffed it whole into his mouth. Irvine rolled down the hill to see a happy Zell munching down the mountain of hotdogs.  
  
"Irvine, help me!" Zell turned around to Irvine looking like a puffer-fish and mumbled, holding a hotdog in his hand.  
  
"Ugh, this is disgusting," Irvine said to himself. Irvine grabbed a hotdog and poured the ketchup and Deling City mustard, which was in squeegee bottles on the table, onto his hotdog and took one big bite. Irvine was acquainted to the taste but the food was simply addicting! After Irvine finished his first, he went for a second round. Zell slapped a chunk of Deling City mustard and stuffed it into his mouth, which was consequently filled with a hot and nauseating sensation.  
  
"Aaah!" Zell yelped waving his arms like a chicken. "Fire! Fire!" Zell spun around and stole a can of Gatorade from a jogger who was sitting on a bench.  
  
"Hey, that's mine!" he scolded, but Zell already poured the liquid into his mouth. He finished the can but it could not douse the fire in his mouth.  
  
"Told ya Deling City mustard is too hot to handle," Irvine chuckled, finishing the second last hotdog of the plate. He then turned to eye on the twelve-foot hotdog, the last hotdog on the plate, licking his lips. "I hope Zell doesn't mind this irresistible babe."  
  
Zell drank the third can of drink and his stomach started to rumble with the heavy mixture of hotdogs and Gatorade. He clenched his stomach in ache and turned to Irvine, who was sliding the lengthy hotdog, with lettuce, onion, sauerkraut and all, gracefully into his mouth. "NOOOOOO!!! THAT'S THE DELING CITY..."  
  
Irvine finished eating the giant hotdog and licked all the mustard smeared around his lips as a complement.   
  
"Oh I uncovered the clue already!" Irvine said to himself in glee, reading the inscription printed on the plate. "Well done eating all those hotdogs! Now head to the next pit stop, the Caraway Mansion."  
  
"Zell, let's go," Irvine slung his backpack around his shoulders and turned to see Zell looking like a hotdog craving demon, with his fists burning aiming for Irvine's head.  
  
***  
  
The morning chimes of Galbadia Garden awakened the five teams from their restless slumber. Quistis got up with a prolonged yawn while she brushed her teeth and polished her glasses.  
  
"Morning Quisty," Xu greeted with a loud yawn. Quistis turned with her glasses on to see her friend.  
  
"Morning. Man the floor's hard," Quistis complained arching her aching back.   
  
Soon, Squall was the next person to wake up.  
  
"Morning," he muttered behind his black shirt, which he was going to wear it over his white undershirt. Squall's head popped out of the collar to see Quistis smiling in greeting. Suddenly, Squall felt a pain in the ear. He moved his hand to his ear to feel Rinoa's soft skin.  
  
"Morning moron!" Rinoa screamed almost deafening Squall. She then approached Quistis beside the drinking fountain and squinched her face in annoyance.  
  
"Morning Quistis," she said sinisterly, waving her toothbrush with a thin line of toothpaste back and forth. "Don't you dare steal my boyfriend."  
  
"We'll see," Quistis said heeding to the challenge. The two women exchanged glances until Daniel broke in to see his idol.  
  
"Morning Quistis. Rachel and I have cookies to spare. What are you doing with Rinoa?" Daniel asked. Rinoa immediately turned away from Quistis and drew her attention to brushing her teeth by the drinking fountain.   
  
Quistis yawned again. "Boy I need breakfast."  
  
Fujin and Raijin took a morning stroll about the gardens and grassland outside the crimson shell-like building of Galbadia Garden.  
  
"I wonder if I meet Martine again," Fujin said.  
  
"You don't look happy, why?" Raijin asked at Fujin who was looking down at herself since she had woke up.  
  
"FIRST LOVE," she said with a sigh. "WAS INSTRUCTOR HERE BEFORE TRANSFER TO BALAMB."  
  
Seifer and Selphie soon ran into Fujin and Raijin. They both held their hands together in such a romantic way that it was noticeable that the both of them are in love.  
  
"Hiya Fujin and Raijin," Selphie greeted in her ever-cheery tone. Fujin and Raijin reacted by turning away from Seifer's face.  
  
"Oh come on guys," Seifer said stretching out his arms hoping that Fujin and Raijin kiss and make up for yesterday's incident, but was heavily turned down by Fujin knocking off his hand.  
  
"RAGE!" Fujin hissed.  
  
"Fujin said that she still doesn't forgive you, ya know. And then she doesn't trust you cuz we're not posses anymore remember?" Raijin explained. Then the duo walked away from Seifer leaving him in tears.  
  
"I was only mad that time," Seifer said.  
  
"Seifer, this is the first time I see you crying," Selphie said happily, but it only caused more pain to Seifer who was beginning to bang his head wildly.  
  
"Me, a wuss?" Seifer said to himself. "I'm not like that chicken-wuss or that soppy Squall." Seifer ran away from Selphie immediately leaving her dumbfounded.  
  
"What's wrong with him?"  
  
***  
  
The five teams waited in anticipation in front of the gates of Galbadia Garden.   
  
Students and SeeDs and instructors could be seen walking around the vicinity talking and laughing or running errands or heading to class. As the eight o'clock bell chimed the lights on the gates turned from red to blue.  
  
"Look it's the slayers of the Sorceress!" a girl said watching Squall, Rinoa, Quistis and Xu pacing through the entrance. Immediately everyone nearby saluted at his or her arrival in revered respect and admiration.   
  
"Auditorium?" Daniel asked who was following the single file of the two leading teams.   
  
"Take the elevator to the second floor and you can't miss it," a male student replied with his hand pointing upwards. Next, it was Seifer and Selphie who appeared and they were welcomed coldly.  
  
"Hey I'm also a Sorceress slayer!" Selphie whined. Suddenly, a ball of paper fell onto Selphie's back hardly. "What was that?"  
  
"Get out you son of a bitch!" an unknown voice clamoured, referring to Seifer who turned with a vicious frown. The people around Seifer started to be infused with fear and moved away from Seifer when he passed by. Fujin and Raijin then appeared behind Selphie, also treated in the same inimical way.  
  
"Guys, can ya all give us a chance and forgive what we've done to the Garden in the past?" Raijin said holding out his hands at the crowd who reacted by stepping backwards from him.  
  
"RUN!" Fujin said to Raijin briefly.  
  
"Huh? What..." Raijin's sentence cut off as Fujin started running and then he followed her.  
  
"Hey, wait up!" Seifer said turning to Fujin and Raijin. Suddenly, he felt a soft object hitting his cheek and eventually spun around the frightened crowd in red. "Who did that?" he growled fiercely squeezing the plastic ball until it burst into pieces.  
  
"Get the Sorceress' knight!" a voice clamoured starting the crowd to throw objects at Seifer and Selphie like a street riot. Seifer's eyes soon flared with fury and rose up to receive more hits. He then lunged to a group of boys throwing paper balls at him and pounced on one of the group.  
  
"How do you like it when an ex-knight attacks you huh?" Seifer sneered clutching onto the student's neck and began to tighten his grip slowly, causing the student to secrete tears in his eyes. "Luckily I didn't bring my gunblade so enjoy-a-slow-death," Seifer said in pieces at the end of his sentence squeezing the student's neck until his voice could not plead for help. The crowd began to back away in fear but the student's friends started to pick up mops and brooms and attacked Seifer at the back. Seifer relinquished his grip, now bearing the pain. Subsequently he stood up as if he was possessed by a demon and pinned another student to the ground, punching him.  
  
"Seifer, NOOO!" Selphie cried in tears. She wanted to stop her teammate from hurting the student but she could not move her body. Blood started to ooze out of the student's mouth, which flowed like a stream towards the other parts of the crowd. Seifer enjoyed the blood bath, but he did not see the steel rod speeding towards his head with one blow, causing him to black out.  
  
***  
  
"Ugh, hurry up!" Xu said while she and her teammate, along with Squall, Rinoa,   
  
Daniel and Rachel, waited impatiently for the elevator to open. Fujin and Raijin were then seen running towards the stairs.  
  
"Daniel, let's take the stairs!" Rachel exclaimed, tugging Daniel by the arm and began to run. Quistis, Xu, Squall and Rinoa soon followed.  
  
Fujin and Raijin approached a two-door entrance, which opened automatically and revealed the grand auditorium.  
  
"SEARCH." Fujin and Raijin started to scour the auditorium for the hidden clue box. Fujin jostled down the seats to the stage. She then noticed the blue and yellow flag behind the speech box and the box was really there.  
  
"FOUND!" Fujin bellowed, her voice echoed towards Raijin crouching to look under the seats. "DETOUR, PUCK OR BALL."  
  
Daniel and Rachel spotted Fujin reading her clue behind the speech box. The both of them jogged down the steps and towards the stage. Rachel grabbed the envelope and tore it open.  
  
"Puck, head to the ice hockey rink and beat a professional goalie. Ball, head to the basketball court and shoot three successful throw-ins for each teammate."  
  
"Let's do ball," Daniel said with his hand covering his left eye. Rachel soon turned to see Quistis, Xu, Squall and Rinoa arriving at the auditorium and signaled them to the clue box.  
  
"RAIJIN!" Fujin shouted with her voice causing the auditorium to tremble. "WHERE ARE YOU!"  
  
"Here honey," a weak voice replied from the upper level of the auditorium. Fujin climbed the steps to see Raijin's body sticking out of the seat with his head stuck beneath.  
  
"FOOL," Fujin grabbed onto his arm and tugged his body trying to pull his head out.  
  
"It hurts ya know," Raijin squealed in agony.  
  
"IMBECILE!" Fujin lifted her foot and swung it towards the nuts. A sharp pain excited from the groin to the lower abdomen causing him to squirm by pushing his head to the seat until it was uprooted.  
  
"Ah, it hurts!" Raijin yelped, jumping around holding his groin. He had then realised that his head was in its original position. "I'm free!" Raijin shouted in joy momentarily.  
  
"QUICK!" Fujin said pulling Raijin by the arm to the exit. "WE'LL PLAY HOCKEY."  
  
***  
  
Seifer woke up and lifted his aching head slowly. "What happened?" Seifer muttered spinning his head carefully to see a student lying on bed with a life support unit. Then he turned to the other side to see Selphie smiling.  
  
"Seifer, you're okay!" Selphie cried emotionally hugging Seifer.  
  
"Why is my head aching?" he said to himself while embracing his teammate. A surge hit him and he started to remember it all. "God! Did I kill him?" he turned around quickly looking at the unconscious student in shock.  
  
"Don't worry young man, he'll be alright," a voice beamed at Seifer and eventually the Garden's doctor and his nurse surfaced from the entrance. "The students here are pretty emotional when it comes to your presence but don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you."  
  
"Doctor, can we go now? We're on a race for a million gil!" Selphie said.  
  
"Yes, yes I know. Once I've bandaged your head you're free to go," he said casually with a roll of bandage in his hand. The nurse handed his a bottle of antiseptic and the doctor applied it on Seifer's wound with cotton bud. It stung but it eased Seifer's pain. "Martine left you two a message. He said after you've finished your business here, never return," the doctor sighed and began to start wrapping Seifer's head with bandages. "I guess we don't want trouble here."  
  
"You're such a nice person Mr. Doctor," Selphie said in a sweet voice. After he had finished his work, he turned to Selphie with a smirk.  
  
"Call me Dr. Boston," he said, brushing his grey hair back.  
  
"Okay Dr. Boston," she said, holding on to Seifer's arm to carry him down the bed.  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin arrived at the Garden's ice hockey rink. Raijin started to shiver with the coldness around the area.  
  
"PUCK?" Fujin asked the hockey player in blue guarding the entrance of the rink. The guy then pointed to the locker room. Fujin and Raijin entered the locker room to find uniforms; helmets, skates and hockey sticks ready for them. And across the room was a person with a towel wrapped around his waist behind a locker door, probably a student getting ready for practice. He closed the door and revealed himself to Fujin and Raijin.  
  
"ROBERT TAVIAN," Fujin spoke.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't Instructor Fujin," the brown-haired white student approached the duo, smirking.  
  
"INSTRUCTOR NO MORE," she said in confirmation. "DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF BALAMB GARDEN NOW ON."  
  
Raijin turned from Fujin to Tavian in a daze. "Do you met each other before."  
  
"Robert Tavian, my former student in Galbadia Garden," she explained in her normal tone, staring at Tavian. "My first love."  
  
Raijin then gaped and goggled in disbelief. "Ya serious?"  
  
"Puppy love to be exact," Tavian added, which made Raijin sighed of relief. "So what brings you here?" he said casually picking up his undershirt.  
  
"RACE" was the only word Fujin could say. After that Tavian spoke, "Oh yeah, I suppose you're going to try to beat me right?"  
  
Raijin pointed at Tavian, saying, "I thought we're supposed to play with a professional goalie, not some junior who plays for the school or something, ya know."  
  
Fujin then kicked Raijin in the ankle. "HAVEN'T YOU WATCHED SPORTS? HE'S ONE OF THE TOP GOALIES OF GALBADIA AND PLAYS FOR THE DELING CITY FASCHOTILACHIONS."  
  
"He's a genius then." Fujin nodded at Raijin's comment.  
  
"Instructor, or should I say ex-coach," Tavian said trying to get Fujin's attention. "I supposed you should change in the bathroom. You don't want to change in front of two guys, do you?"  
  
Fujin quickly swiped the uniform from the bench and then disappeared into the bathroom.  
  
"Now red-skinned man," Tavian said, sitting on the bench. "Why don't we talk a bit while my ex-coach finishes dressing up. You know how women take such a long time to change."  
  
"The name's Raijin," he said, taking off his shirt.  
  
***  
  
Daniel shielded his eyes from the blinding sun as he looked up at the tall hoop of the basketball court. "Oh my goodness that is tall!"  
  
"Rules are simple people," the basketball coach said trying to bring everyone's attention present to do the 'Ball' detour. Then he blew his whistle signaling the students to stop practicing and recollect the balls into its receptacle. "Each person will take a turn to attempt the hoop. You must stand on this marked point and shoot the ball into the basket. If you succeed you are allowed to go for the second one. If failed, for any attempts, you'll have to let the next person to go and wait for your turn. Each of you must score five hoops to get the envelope. Understood?" Everyone in front of the coach nodded. "Okay. The blonde guy with freckles and the red-hair girl arrived here first so they'll start."  
  
Rachel pushed Daniel into the court. A student threw a ball at Daniel and he received it, looking very nervous. Daniel parked himself on the marked position and bounced the ball three times. "Here goes," Daniel muttered to himself lifting the ball towards the sky. He pulled back his hands and then threw the ball forward towards the hoop. The ball hit the rim of the basket and slipped into the hoop. Daniel patted his chest with a sigh of relief.  
  
"You're doing great Daniel!" Rachel supported. Now Daniel picked up the ball, which dropped from the basket and bounced and rolled at him. He bounced the ball three times, repeating the whole process. The ball went straight into the basket, which made everyone began to applaud. Daniel walked to the ball and picked it up and walked back to the mark. Again he bounced it three times and lifted the ball, with his eyes aiming at the basket. He releases the ball, but the ball barely touched the rim. Daniel started to gesture in agony.   
  
"Three more left sonny," the coach said patting Daniel's back. Next, it was   
  
Rachel's turn to shoot. She mimicked a little of Daniel's procedure and threw the ball but it was deflected to the right.  
  
"You're not aiming at the basket Rachel," Daniel advised.  
  
"Oh shut up," Rachel bellowed in agony as she queued behind Daniel.  
  
***  
  
"So how old are ya?" Raijin asked Tavian, strapping the elbow pads.  
  
"19, still not graduated," Tavian replied briefly while he polished the blades of his skates. Raijin began to widen his mouth in disbelief.  
  
"Bullshits! Fujin transferred to Balamb when she was 20 four years ago and before the transfer you were... 14?"  
  
"15," Tavian corrected. "I told you it was puppy love. She was our ice hockey coach then. I suppose you don't know her nickname: SILVER WOLF." After he finished with the polish, he spoke again. "Say what does Fujin do normally in Balamb Garden? I know she's one of the Sorceress' knight posse but I'm curious."  
  
"Well, she said she's one of the disciplinary committee, along with me and Seifer, the ex-knight," Raijin started his explanation. "The three of us usually pick on students like Zell and the Trepies, and... that's all I know, ya know."  
  
"Well do you play hockey in Balamb? I've never been there," Tavian asked again.  
  
Raijin reacted by waving his palms. "No way, it's hot in Balamb. And I don't suppose Balamb Garden is not a sporty Garden like Galbadia. But we fish and have bands ya know!"  
  
"YOU GUYS SLOW," a booming voice sounded when Fujin appeared in front of them fully dressed. She picked up a hockey stick and pounded it against her palm.  
  
Tavian approached the junior player guarding the rink entrance and told him to move away.  
  
"Yes coach," the student moved away to let the three enter the rink.  
  
"COACH," Fujin thought deeply while she wore her skates. "NO SURPRISE."  
  
After wearing his skates, Raijin rose up from the bench and started to wobble and eventually fell onto the cold ice. "I need serious practice."  
  
Tavian signaled everyone on the rink to line up in both sides. Then they started pounding their sticks profusely on the ice and chanted the hockey team slogan.   
  
Tavian skated to the goalpost and positioned himself. "I hope your skills did not deteriorate during the years, coach!" he said vigorously  
  
Fujin tabbed the puck on the marked position in the middle of the penalty box and presently, Raijin skated in front of Fujin waving his arms.  
  
"I wanna try ya know," Raijin said excitedly.  
  
Fujin slapped on her eye patch. "OK."  
  
Raijin positioned himself in front of the puck and lifted his hockey stick to the rear. He aimed at the tiny goal with Tavian who was confidently smirking at him behind his mask. With one big force and yell he swung the stick to the puck but missed and he fell on the ice squirming in pain. Tavian and the players around the rink chuckled hysterically.  
  
"USELESS," Fujin hissed and shoved Raijin aside with her hockey stick. Fujin then swung her stick and knocked the puck, which slid across the ice to Tavian's hands.  
  
"Nice try," Tavian said through his hockey mask, throwing the puck back at his ex-coach. Fujin repositioned the puck and moved herself in front, staring at Tavian's eyes with a stern look.   
  
"EAT THIS," Fujin swiftly knocked the puck, which suddenly disappeared. The goalie could not see anything at first but eventually he noticed vaguely a flat object heading towards his right with the speed of a bullet. Immediately he jumped and stretched out his hand, trying to block it from entering, but the puck shaved the tip of his gloves, broke through the net and penetrated into the plastic barrier. Tavian turned around to examine the puck, astonished - it was still vibrating. Instantaneously, Tavian's flunkies stopped and stood in their places in awe. Fujin brushed her silver hair and skated towards a disappointed looking Tavian. "The student will never beat the teacher."  
  
"Wow!" Raijin gasped with his mouth wide open. "That was amazing, ya know."  
  
"Swift Gale - Coach Fujin's signature move. I always wanted to train for that," he said, pulling of his mask and turned to see his right hand bleeding.  
  
"Sir, you're hurt," a player skated to the bench to get the first aid kit.  
  
"SORRY. NO CHOICE," Fujin apologised casually. Tavian snapped his finger to signal a small built player to bring them their deserved clue. Fujin swiped the clue from his hand and did not hesitate to rip it open.  
  
"RAIJIN. DELING CITY GO BACK," she said, skating to the bench to take of the skates.  
  
"Okeydoke," Raijin muttered to himself. Presently, a cold padded glove chilled his broad shoulder and turned to see Tavian in a stern look.  
  
"Careful, she can be wilder than you can imagine," Tavian whispered.  
  
"Shucks. I've been through all that you know," Raijin said ignoring Tavian's advice.  
  
***  
  
"Damn jackass," King said walking through the hallways of Galbadia Garden.   
  
"We've lost three hours just because of the stupid traffic and the clue." King then sighed, "We're gonna be eliminated."  
  
Jack and King arrived at the automatic doorway, which opened for them revealing the basketball court. They sighed in relief as they watched Rinoa positioning herself before the basket and lifted the ball high in the air. With one jump she thrusted to ball directly towards the basket but it did not reach the target. Rinoa fidgeted in agony and walked weakly to behind Squall. Rachel then jogged to the marked position and picked up the ball. Daniel, who was standing before the basket all the time after he had completed the task, walked to Rachel.  
  
"What are you doing?" Rachel said when Daniel held her arms.  
  
"Do as I say," Daniel said trying to get Rachel to listen. "Now position your legs like this... yup... bounce the ball three times... aim at the basket and lift the ball like this... and throw!"  
  
Rachel swung her arms and released the ball from her firm grip. The ball soared towards the basket and dropped directly into the basket.  
  
"Wow! Thanks buddy. Now how do I do that again?" Daniel retold all the steps to her. Rachel threw the ball again and it flushed into the hoop.   
  
"Yay!" Rachel cheered clapping her hands in joy. "One more!"  
  
At the same time, Seifer and Selphie surfaced from the corridor to the sunny basketball court.  
  
"Seifer, what happened to your head?" Xu said sternly placing her hands firmly on her waist after noticing the wrapping around his head. "Got yourself in trouble huh?"  
  
"You don't wanna know," Seifer replied casually.  
  
"And don't touch his head. Dr. Boston said so!" Selphie added. The exclamation of Rachel's rang in the air as she shot the final hoop.  
  
"Clue, clue, clue!" Rachel exclaimed excitedly waving her fingers to signal the coach to hand in the envelope. Meanwhile, it was Quistis' attempt to shoot with Daniel lending a helping hand.  
  
"This feels weird," Quistis commented at the feeling of being in an uncomfortable position. She pulled the ball backwards and thrusted it forward and it went into the hoop with the sharp sound of the net holding back the ball and released it. "At least it worked."  
  
"Daniel!!" Rachel shouted hysterically trying to catch her partner's attention.   
  
Daniel appeared racing towards Rachel and joined her in a run to the next destination.  
  
"Go back to Deling City and proceed to the inside of the Deling City Gateway!"   
  
Rachel said in pieces running with the paper in hand.  
  
In the meantime, Quistis failed the third hoop when the ball bounced back off the rim, now leaving the court to Xu.  
  
"Just follow my posture and don't forget to bounce the ball three times and move your eyes at the target!" Quistis hollered giving instructions to her friend.  
  
Xu now lifted the ball in the air and tilted her head aiming at the basket. She pulled the ball backward and then thrusted it directly into the basket.  
  
"Thanks Quisty," she said with a thumb up, then picking up the ball for the first attempt of the second hoop. Subsequently, Xu succeeded in the task and now its Rinoa's turn.  
  
"Squall, stop giving me directions! I can do this without any help!" Rinoa bellowed at Squall who was casually leaning against the fence shouting at her, since he had finished the task. Rinoa lifted the ball, jumped and thrusted the ball, which barely touched the rim of the basket.  
  
"I told you you're not doing it correctly!" Squall scolded, causing his girlfriend to approach him with an annoyed stride.  
  
"Can't you just give me some respect will ya!" she retaliated, which was blandly   
  
replied with a 'whatever'.  
  
"Oh that's close," Jack said in agony after King's ball hit the board and bounced off for the third hoop. Selphie stepped into the court happily, warming up her reflexes.  
  
"Here goes!" Selphie lifted the ball towards her face, thrusted it and fell directly into the basket. Then in no time she picked up the ball and eventually completed the last two throws.  
  
"Good luck Seifer!" Selphie cheered slapping both of her palms at Seifer's with a high-five. Seifer strode into the court with a round object heading towards his head.  
  
"Look out!" Selphie turned after smelling the danger and jumped to hit the ball away from his bandaged head. Selphie then turned to look at the students sitting on the bench sternly and angrily. "Who dared to hurt my boyfriend? He could've kicked the bucket if you knocked his head!"  
  
The students in their T-shirts and basketball singlets looked at Selphie with empty expressions. Then the tallest student with a yellow and green bandana stood up in protest.  
  
"Don't you realise that guy almost destroyed our Garden?" he spat. The coach then turned to Selphie.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'll handle this," he said apologetically. "It won't take long." The coach turned to the senior student and strode towards him sternly. The both of them engaged in a fierce rebuke until the student rose up from the sheltered bench and strutted proudly to the exit, giving Seifer and Selphie one disturbed look.  
  
"And don't come back until you've realised that you're wrong," the coach shouted back at him but it landed on deaf ears. "I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting."  
  
Seifer bounced the ball for the third consecutive throw and held it up in the air. He released the ball from his grip and landed beautifully into the basket.  
  
"You did it!" Selphie said in an uproar and picked up her backpack. Seifer then jogged to Selphie and ran to the exit together with the clue.  
  
"Deling City Gateway, let's go!"  
  
***  
  
Zell and Irvine finally arrived at the Caraway Mansion at the edge of the city. The both of them stepped out of the taxi and picked up their luggage from the trunk. Then they ran to the check-in point at the entrance of the mansion, where General Caraway and Cid Kramer were awaiting their arrival. Irvine took off his cowboy hat at General Caraway, revealing the bumps on his head thanks to Zell who had been like a possessed person beating him up into a pulp in the park.  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, General," he said politely.  
  
"Zell and Irvine, you're team number one," Cid said.  
  
"Okay pardner," Zell turned to Irvine with his hand reaching out to him. "I want my Deling City hotdog back."  
  
Irvine felt the bump, which ached, and did not hesitate to stuff his hand into his pocket to reach for his wallet.  
  
***  
  
"Rinoa you're pushing it!" Squall growled at Rinoa failing her throw as he agonised of being the last group in the court. He slapped his forehead disappointed and walked to Rinoa who was about to throw the ball.  
  
"Squall I really don't need your help," Rinoa said, but Squall insisted on moving her arms and footing to the ideal posture. Rinoa took one throw and succeeded the first throw. "Thanks mister," she spat.   
  
After the next two successful throw-ins, they finally received the red envelope with a big sigh of relief.  
  
"Go back to Deling City and proceed to inside the Deling City Gateway," Rinoa said reading the clue.  
  
"Go to the gateway..." Squall ordered the driver but was soon interrupted by Rinoa.  
  
"Not to the city dumb-ass, the train station. It's probably jamming up in Deling City and I knew it cuz it always happen. Hopefully the other teams never thought of this and might probably been stuck in the rush hour," she insisted.  
  
"Just when did you start to think positively Screaminoa?" Squall jeered nastily at Rinoa who was lying her back on cushion comfortably.  
  
Meanwhile, in Deling City, the whole city was in chaos as workers were driving to their offices and working place since eight in the morning causing the streets of the Shopping Arcade and the Gateway to jam up with the horning of cars and buses. Raijin and Fujin started to worry as it had been thirty minutes they have been stuck in the jam and the Gateway was only a tiny building from afar.  
  
"I didn't know it was this bad, ya know," Raijin said, trying to calm down Fujin who was perspiring with frustration.  
  
"DRIVER," Fujin started. "DROP US NOW. WE WALK."   
  
Fujin and Raijin stepped down from the cab and pulled their backpack from the trunk. Then they started pacing the sidewalks heading towards the Gateway.  
  
"Ya know I wish there were monorails here like in Timber cuz this is big city with too many people anyway, ya know," Raijin suggested.  
  
"SHUT UP AND WALK IT," Fujin cut Raijin's next sentence off.  
  
"I can't believe we've made a mistake!" Quistis said in frustration as the taxi only moved a few inches for every two or three minutes. "We could be eliminated."  
  
"Shut up Quisty," Xu said almost blowing her head off. "Driver, we want to get off, NOW!"  
  
Quistis and Xu got off the cab with their luggage edgily and began to walk the streets following signs pointing to the Gateway.  
  
"Ugh, it's dusty here that I want to gag," Xu complained as she choked the smoke out of her mouth.   
  
"Stop complaining girl. You're slowing us down and we don't want to be eliminated do we?" Quistis scolded as she took off her glasses, which was fogged by the dust.  
  
"Shut up!" Xu yelled back turning back to Quistis with unhappiness. "I don't like to be pushed around, you know." Xu walked on until she spotted a train station across the highway. "Thank goodness, a train ride."   
  
Xu and Quistis started to quicken their pace and climbed the steps of the overhead bridge, which will direct them to the Outer City station. After a few minutes, the train arrived and the both of them squeezed themselves into the crowded coach.  
  
"Shit."  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin arrived in front of the Deling City Gateway, leaning on the lamppost regaining their breath and stamina. Then they continued walking to below the giant archway and beside the marked entrance, a clue box was stood. Both of them released their backpacks, which fell on the ground with a thud, and ran to the box. Fujin reached her hand to open the clue box on the floor and took out the red envelope.  
  
"ROADBLOCK," Fujin hissed after ripping off the seal on the envelope to reveal a piece of paper written ROADBLOCK in big bold letters on it. "Before opening the concealed leaf, choose someone who has a good sense of direction and is not afraid of the dark," Fujin explained in her normal tone.  
  
"You do it," Raijin insisted in jitters. "I hate dark places ya know!"  
  
Fujin nodded and tore off the front page to read the instructions. "CRAP."  
  
***  
  
Rachel and Daniel surfaced from the underground train station to meet again with the Deling City Gateway, which was within walking distance. They raced to the marked entrance to meet up with Raijin helping Fujin putting on the sanitary outfit and Wellington boots.  
  
"Oh my god, it must be something disgusting," Rachel said after she chose herself to conduct the next task. "Venture the sewers using the enclosed map as a guide to get to the next pit stop. Along the way be sure to look for three numbers written in white on the floor to unlock the digital lock at the end of the course. Your partner in the other hand will ride a horse-driven carriage to the check-in point at the Caraway Mansion."  
  
"Honey, will you be alright?" Raijin said in worry as Fujin parked her foot into the small cubicle after the marked entrance and inside was manhole, which will drop her into the dark sewers below.  
  
"DON'T WORRY. GO NOW AND WAIT," she said in brief.  
  
Raijin then waved his hand at Fujin to wish her luck and walked across the street where the horse-driven carriage was waiting. Fujin squeezed herself into the small room in front of the manhole. She looked down at the bottom of the hole, which was dark, barely lit and a foul stench rose to her senses causing her to pinch her nose. Fujin slowly crawled to the ladder and climbed down into the sewers, which was lit with flickering fluorescent lights and the walls were covered with slime and Red Bat feces. There was a river flowing in front of her, which had a waterwheel connected to a cable turning to the flow of the water supplying additional power to the city. Fujin flashed her torchlight to the map, which was drawn with arrows in yellow telling her the route to get to the end of the route. The first thing she did was to climb onto the waterwheel that will drop her at the other end of the sewer.  
  
***  
  
Quistis and Xu got off at the underground station. Squall, Rinoa, Seifer, Selphie, Jack and King were seen getting off the coach in front of them.  
  
"Crap. The bitch beat us," Quistis said to herself, referring to Rinoa.  
  
After about three minutes, the three remaining teams arrived at the route marker and opened their envelopes to unveil the Roadblock task instructions.  
  
"Rinoa, are you sure that you want to do this," Squall said in worry touching Rinoa's face. "I mean you freaked out at the lighthouse..."  
  
"Stop faking it Squall," Rinoa said who insisted on doing the task. After wearing her sanitary outfit, which was made of white plastic, she turned to Quistis who was getting ready to jump into the sewers.  
  
"Quisty," Rinoa said in a friendly voice trying to catch her attention. Quistis turned around to see Rinoa grinning. "Let me help you to go through the sewers."  
  
Quistis started to smile back at her. "Why is that?" she asked casually.  
  
"Well..." Rinoa began twisting her foot on the ground. "The sewer's is like the back of the hand like the city and you're our ally along with Selphie remember?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Quistis muttered. "Something's not right with her," she thought deeply when Rinoa gave a friendly pat on her back   
  
Meanwhile, Fujin almost reached the end of the course and not far behind was Rachel shining her flashlight around the sewers warily. The light from Fujin's flashlight shone on something black and shiny, and moving. A dead rotting corpse was revealed covered in black rats scouring for food, causing the two women to gag. In front of the disgusting scene was a locked gate with a digital lock fixed on the wall beside the rusty grille. Fujin quickly walked past the corpse to the digital lock and started to key in the secret code.  
  
"4-8-0," Fujin whispered pressing on the buttons. After that, the gate swung open automatically to reveal a ladder. Fujin walked past the gate closed it, then got on the ladder and opened the hatch a little to let the bright sunlight seep into the sewers. Raijin spotted a white hand reaching out from the manhole and approached it to see Fujin climbing up to the surface. Raijin helped to pull her from the hole and she knelt on the paved sidewalk huffing and puffing.  
  
"GO!" Fujin said after she got up and the both of them ran to the entrance of the Caraway Mansion, meeting up with General Caraway and Cid Kramer at the check-in point.  
  
"Fujin and Raijin, you're team number two."  
  
Next, it was Rachel's turn to climb back to the surface and she immediately took off the baggy sanitary outfit, which was covered with splashes of sewer water and slime.  
  
"It was disgusting especially the corpse guarding the exit," Rachel said to Cid after the team was informed that they were in third place.  
  
Rinoa and Quistis walked warily into the deeper parts of the sewers with their flashlights on looking out for Shadows, Red Bats and the digital lock code.  
  
"Rinoa, are you sure that we're going to the right direction?" Quistis said referring to her map. "I thought you said you know the sewers like the back of your hand. I've been here you know."  
  
"Who says we're going to the surface?" Rinoa said, turning around with her flashlight shining her face, which was carved with an evil grin.  
  
"What's your plan?" Quistis said positioning herself ready to attack with her flashlight as a weapon. Rinoa held up her arm with the palm facing Quistis, emitting a blue light forcing Quistis to her knees.  
  
"What are you doing?" she asked struggling to move her body from paralysis.   
  
Rinoa approached her with a balled fist and punched her cheek.  
  
"I hate you," Rinoa hissed, punching Quistis until her head turned to the left.   
  
"You tried to usurp Squall's love from me." Then she released her fist and turned around pacing back and forth with large steps. "Don't worry, I'll just have to keep you here for five hours so that the monsters will come and eat you, or at the most, you'll be eliminated from the race," Rinoa added, laughing diabolically.  
  
"BITCH!" Quistis spat, twisting her body until her knees shuffled and silently approached Rinoa whose back was facing her. Then she jerked out her arms vigorously and without knowing Rinoa was standing at the edge of the sewer river, she pushed her into the murky water.  
  
"Quistis!" Rinoa screamed struggling to float, coughing out the dirty water she had swallowed when she dived in. "You..." Rinoa's word stopped there as the current picked up and Rinoa was helplessly swept away deeper into the sewers.   
  
Eventually, the heaviness and strain around Quistis was dispelled and she got up to her feet immediately. She then walked through the darkness using only her instinct to retrace her steps back to the brighter part of the sewer.   
  
Squall and Xu waited impatiently for their teammate to come out of the sewers. The trepidation grew after Seifer had come up to meet a relieved Selphie. After a few minutes, it was Jack who was the next person to reach the surface. Behind him was Quistis, who was deep worry of Rinoa's safety.  
  
"Quistis, you're okay!" Xu said rejoicing the return of her friend.  
  
"No time for that," Quistis said, now turning to Squall looking very anxious.   
  
"Squall, Rinoa's in trouble!"  
  
Squall started to sound confused. "What do you mean by that?"   
  
"There's not much time. I'll go and report to Headmaster Cid while you pray for Rinoa's safety."  
  
In no time Quistis and Xu started running and checked in at the pit stop.  
  
"Quistis and Xu..." Cid paused, but Quistis did not hesitate to speak up.  
  
"There's no time for suspense." Quistis began to say in distress at Rinoa's father. "General Caraway your daughter is in trouble!"  
  
***  
  
It was pit black and Rinoa blindly swam until she felt a ledge and climbed over onto it. Her hair, skin and clothes were dripping wet with sewer water, which smelled like vomit nauseating Rinoa's senses. She coughed out all the water, which had a terrible taste and obstructed her normal breathing. She laid her hand on the ground until she felt something organic. She took out her flashlight tucked between the sanitary outfit and her blue sleeveless blouse and shone at the curiosity that she was touching.  
  
A scream echoed through the sewers, which was heard by Squall and a few members of the Deling City Rescue Unit who were looking for General Caraway's missing daughter.  
  
"Rinoa is that you?" Squall yelled in response of the scream he heard. He then hastened his footsteps, with the water on the floor splashing about as he jogged deeper into the sewer. The sound of dripping of water grew louder and discerned as he ventured warily into the unknown. He stepped on something mushy and flashed around the area with a flashlight. It was a graveyard. The piles of corpses and skeletons lingered throughout the area.  
  
"Be careful Mr. Leonhart," one of the members of the rescue unit said in warning. "These people died here because of the monsters."  
  
Then further away a cry of a young woman was heard. The rescue team shone their flashlight on something white and shiny and raised the light to reveal a black-haired woman sinking her head in her knees crying.  
  
"Rinoa!"  
  
***  
  
General Caraway, Cid Kramer and the six teams waited in anticipation and worry for Squall and Rinoa's appearance. After two hours, Squall and Rinoa, who was hugging onto Squall's side, showed up with the Deling City Rescue Unit at the mansion's doorstep. Squall and Rinoa walked with heavy steps towards the mat and stood on it, facing General Caraway, Cid and the other teams sighing in relief. Rinoa raised her head to see her father. Her face was stained with the blackness of the sewer water and the grey slime, traveling from her right eyelid to across her cheek, and her hair was dripping with trash and slime which smelled like a week-old dead corpse - she had the most horrendous experience in the sewers.  
  
"Daddy!" Rinoa said falling onto her father to embrace him.  
  
"It's all right honey," General Caraway said in his paternal tone and stroked her back trying to comfort her daughter. Cid then cleared her throat and began to speak.  
  
"Squall and Rinoa, I'm sorry to tell that you're the last team to arrive..."  
  
"No!" Rinoa cried, now rolling her forehead on Squall's shoulder, wetting his shirt with her tears. Squall reacted with sadness on his face while rubbing his girlfriend's back.  
  
"Tell us," Squall said when the expression on his face transformed from a disappointing frown to sternness in his eyes. "Just tell us that we've been eliminated from the race!" 


	5. Heating Up

Heating up  
  
----------  
  
It was approximately 9.38 in the morning in Deling City. The streets and highways of the city were raving with the endless rush hour where motorists horning and cursing at each other in irritation. At the northern end of the city lied the Caraway Mansion, home of Deling City's acting President General Caraway. At the humble entrance of the house stood an aggravated Squall, staring at Cid sternly directly in his brown eyes through the thick glasses. His girlfriend, Rinoa only shed tears while her blood-shot eyes looked at her presidential father.  
  
"Tell us. Tell us that we're eliminated!" Squall said wrapping one arm around her girlfriend snugly and pulled her until her head touched his shoulder. "I don't want to let Rinoa suffer by eternalising the dilemma she had."  
  
"Squall and Rinoa," Cid started again after clearing his throat. "You both have been told that you're in last place." Cid paused momentarily trying to rise the tension in the couple. He let out a sigh of relief and smiled affably. "The good news is this is not an elimination round!"  
  
"What?" Rinoa said in perplexity, raising her head from rest on Squall's broad shoulder, which was like a pillow to her where she could just throw all the bad things on. She started to arch her lips a little, almost smiling. "Is that really true?"  
  
"No way," Squall shook his head in denial. "You're just kidding cuz you and General Caraway don't want to hurt Rinoa's feelings."  
  
"Just take it pardner," Irvine said behind his hat and dropped off from his seat on the patio table. He approached Squall and patted on his back. "The goddamn lady luck is really smilin'."  
  
"We already know that you won't be eliminated ya know," Raijin added.  
  
"Yeah," Selphie cheered raising her arm in the air. "We want you Squall."  
  
"Squall, we... we're not eliminated," Rinoa finally cheered in relief. She stretched out her arms to embrace her boyfriend warmly while Squall only stood there dumbfounded. Rinoa then released her grip on Squall and turned to everybody in her award-winning smile. "I don't know what to say umm... this race is crazy and exciting and all, but I just want to say that I'm really relieved and I want to go on."  
  
"Honey," General Caraway interrupted looking at his daughter sternly.  
  
"I know daddy," Rinoa reasoned. "The city can't lose their first daughter but I really want to go on, to learn more about myself than what I discovered after the Ultimecia incident."  
  
"Rinoa," General Caraway perked up his voice. "You're as persistent as your mother!"  
  
At the instant everyone started to laugh and Rinoa could only rub her wet and slimy hair. Rinoa then turned to look at Squall who was like a statue since they arrived here.  
  
"Are you gonna say something?" Selphie said poking her finger on his arm, hoping for a reaction.  
  
"Poor Squall, he must've been in the shock of his lifetime," Quistis said, sitting on the patio drinking her afternoon tea with Xu, who crossed her arms with the elbows pressing the glass table.  
  
"Quisty, I just want to give an advice," Xu said matter-of-factly. "Forget Squall."  
  
After hearing the advice, Quistis stopped drinking her tea and slammed the cup on the saucer. "Why?" she asked, having the expression in her face that she was not amused. "I almost got it Xu and the next thing I have to do is to tie it up. I've already got the plan running."  
  
"But it's unfair to Rinoa and you're torturing her," Xu retaliated raising her voice.  
  
"Hey, hey, ladies," a cowboy voice joined in with Irvine appearing in front of them with his hat on his chest. "What's the commotion about?"  
  
"Nothing," both of them said in unison. Then they turned from Irvine to face each other staring blankly.  
  
Squall woke up with his head splitting in pain. He rubbed his forehead to ease the ache and turned up to see Selphie's face pressing his nose with a huge cheery smile.  
  
"Finally, you woke up!"  
  
"Whatever," he muttered. "Go away!" Immediately, Selphie pulled her face away from Squall. "Where's Rinoa?"  
  
"Bathing," Selphie said casually. "She needs to get rid of the goo on her you know. Need some fresh air?"  
  
Squall could only reply with a small nod since the pain would increase as he moved his head. Selphie then helped Squall to rise up from the bed and she took him to the balcony. The dusty air of the city did not helped Squall much to rejuvenate his senses.  
  
"Just asking out of curiosity," Squall said, as Selphie neared her ear close to Squall's mouth since the cacophony of city traffic dampened his voice. "How on earth did you tame Seifer?"  
  
Selphie silenced momentarily, but then she turned to Squall grinning. "What's the big deal? I flirted," she pouted.  
  
"Oh," Squall perplexed. His mind began to rotate with a pondering. "Seifer and his posse must be up to something. Usually he would dump Selphie in the beginning although he was forced to team up with her."  
  
Selphie yawned and stretched her arms to the back. "It's so stressful but I can't wait to see what the next leg look like. You know it's relaxing to remember and talk about the crazy things on the race that happened before."  
  
Squall started to press his view on the Deling City scenery - shops, commercial buildings and parklands at the left, the Gateway at the center and the residential areas and tall skyscrapers at the right.  
  
***  
  
"Squall let's do it!" Rinoa pleaded tugging Squall's hand trying to make him to read the Balamb Garden Around-the-World Race pamphlet. The persistent Squall who still did not want to get away from his coffee made her give up.  
  
"The prize is a mil you know?" Rinoa said, which finally made Squall to put his coffee cup on the table and turn to Rinoa with interest.  
  
"Are you serious?" Squall said.  
  
"You don't believe me?" Rinoa then handed the pamphlet to Squall and he began to look at it keenly.  
  
'The only gateway to the whole world awaits' was the first line he read and he began to lose interest.  
  
"It's crap. I can pilot the Ragnarok to go around the world," Squall said nastily but soon turned back to the paper. 'The winner will win the grand prize of 1,000,000 gil!'  
  
"Hmm... no sponsors," Squall pondered with his fingers rubbing his chin. "But I have a large debt at hand and the money would come into use, if the money is ever real."  
  
Squall slapped the paper on the table with a loud slam and tilted his head up to face Rinoa vigorously. The crowd of the Garden cafeteria stopped their usual conversation and laughter to see the couple.  
  
"I'll do it."  
  
"Rock-paper-scissors to see who pairs in the race!" Selphie cheered, drawing her hand to her back, sitting on the same table with Zell and Irvine.  
  
"Sorry Sefie," Irvine said, now wrapping his arm around Zell sitting beside him but Zell tried to evade, muttering 'I'm not gay you know' in his lips. "We've already paired up and signed in."  
  
"Then who will team up with me?" Selphie cried, with tears about to form in her eyes. But as a happy-go-lucky person, she hid her sorrow by wiping away her tears and smiled. "Never mind, I can look for other people."  
  
Selphie stood up from her seat and walked around the cafeteria asking the other students and SeeDs to be teammates. A student, who was a friend of Zell, came running to Zell with aggravating news.  
  
"Bad news Zell," he said huffing and puffing, with his hands pressing on the table and his head hanging downwards. "Squall and Rinoa are joining."  
  
"Shit, he'll be a threat," Zell exclaimed.  
  
"Don't worry dude," Irvine said casually, patting on Zell's shoulder to calm him down. "The regulations said only nine teams will be selected randomly."  
  
"Okay, so you two have already teamed up," Seifer said leaning against the vending machine talking to Fujin and Raijin. "Then what about me?"  
  
"FIND," Fujin said briefly.  
  
"She meant that you should look for someone compatible as simple as that, ya know," Raijin explained.  
  
"QUIT."  
  
"Or else you might as well give up cuz no one wants to be with the meanest and baddest ex-knight, ya know," Raijin added, exploding into a giggle with Fujin.  
  
"Cheap bastards," Seifer muttered. He turned away from them with Fujin and Raijin staring each other.  
  
"OFFENDED?"  
  
Seifer walked with small steps with his hands at his back to the deeper and more crowded part of the cafeteria. He turned to his left to see Zell and Irvine having a conversation with the Trepies on a large round table.  
  
"Now there's someone to release my frustration," Seifer thought sneering. He strode towards the table and pounded his palm on the table and turned his head to Zell with a grin.  
  
"Wassup chicken-wuss?" Seifer jeered. Zell wanted to rise from his seat and retaliate but Irvine managed to push him back down.  
  
"What's wrong Seifer?" Daniel started. "Ya love Zell? As in real love." Everyone on the table laughed and giggled hysterically after Daniel stressed the 'love' word. Seifer who was embarrassed at first, flamed into anger and shuffled away from the table after he pounded his fist on the table. After a few moments, Seifer returned to the table grabbing a food tray with both hands and knocked it on Daniel's head. Seifer sneered and hit Daniel and his Trepie friends some more.  
  
"Seifer, what're you doing!" Zell spat with his fist shaking wanting to punch Seifer on the face.  
  
Seifer stopped his attack and the tray dropped uselessly to the floor. "Wanna piece of me? C'mon!" Seifer said in a challenge by pointing both of his fingers to himself. Zell immediately rose up from the seat and climbed to the top of the table shoving away the plates and glasses, which clattered on the floor after they dropped from the table. Then at the end of the table he took one big jump, trying to elbow-drop Seifer from above. Seifer nimbly dodged his attack and Zell fell on the floor with a thud. Seifer took the advantage by kicking Zell's stomach causing him to shriek out in pain.  
  
"What's going on?" Selphie muttered trying to pave a way through the crowd who was looking at the fight. She paved into a spot where she could see clearly what was going on besides having herself unnoticeable to the two boys.   
  
"Wow, cool. Hey maybe I can get Seifer to be my teammate and Rinoa said he was sweet once. Oh what the heck let me tape this fight and sign-him up!" Selphie took out the camcorder from her linen bag and recorded the fight while clearing up her voie to start commentating. "Zell is clenching his fist ready to attack Seifer. And there he goes... ooh, Seifer jouked it and chopped his back and he's down... Oh, what's this? Zell's not going to give up and he's getting up with a bloody face."  
  
The crowd cheered on shouting Seifer and Zell's name. Zell and Seifer exchanged glances.  
  
"Take this!" Zell's fist started to burn with fire and pointed it at Seifer. Then he motioned his feet and disappeared a second later.  
  
"What the fuck," Seifer muttered. In a second, Zell appeared in front of Seifer smiling triumphantly.  
  
"Eat this S.O.B. 'Fist of Fury'!!!" Zell neared his fist at Seifer trying to punch his face until his jaw broke. Seifer anticipated the attack and could do nothing but shielding his face with crossed arms. Subsequently, Seifer jerked backward until his back banged on the pillar, almost breaking his spine.   
  
"Zell finally got Seifer! Oh no, what's this? Fujin and Raijin are stepping into the ring."  
  
Fujin and Raijin walked towards Zell and Seifer who was slouching against the pillar.  
  
"Help me you guys!" Seifer said but only to expect the disciplinary committee to disarm him by jerking his arms to the back.  
  
"ZELL TOO!" Fujin ordered Raijin to arrest Zell. "ENOUGH TROUBLE. NOW DETENTION!"  
  
"Move it. We got no time ya know," Raijin said forcing Zell to follow his steps.  
  
Selphie turned off the camcorder and tucked it back into her linen bag. "Oh, this is gonna be great. I'm positively sure that we will be selected to join the contest."  
  
Cid twirled his executive's chair to face the ocean and beach scenery of Balamb Continent. The small creak of the door sounded and the headmaster's most awaited guest approached Cid whose head could only be seen behind the black leather of the chair.  
  
"So did it attract the students?" Mr. Alex Axel asked trying to catch his attention.  
  
Cid turned the chair around to reveal his affable looking self. "I only did it out of everyone's boredom, not for the money."  
  
"Whatever," Mr. Axel said casually. "Now where are the tapes?"  
  
Cid immediately rose up from his seat and walked to his side with his hands behind his back looking like a real principal. "I'll lead you to the VIP room."  
  
Cid opened the door for Alex Axel to pass through first, but Edea Kramer, his wife and the secretary of his office showed up in front of the doorstep.  
  
"Good evening honey," Edea said with a file held between her arms and chest. She then turned to the stranger that her husband had not introduced to her before. "Honey, who's he?"  
  
Cid hesitated for a moment but was able to come up to something. "Edea, this is my old classmate from Galbadia High School. I'm just taking him to the VIP room to look at some photos."  
  
"Oh okay," Edea answered. "I hope you'll enjoy the Garden's hospitality Mr...."  
  
"Axel."  
  
"We got to go honey. He'll have to catch a train back to the capital tonight," Cid said trying to divert his wife's attention on his guest.  
  
Cid led him down the hallway to a two-way door, where he opened it with both hands revealing the VIP room, which was ornately decorated with pictures and photos of Balamb Garden and at one end was a sofa set and a 24-inch television, plugged to a VCR. Cid walked to the shelf behind the triple-seated sofa and pulled out a box of tapes containing profiles of twenty couples who wanted to qualify for participation.  
  
"Help yourself," Cid said pushing the box to the center of the sofa set. Mr. Axel opened the box and uncovered the black glossy tapes on top of the dusty photo albums that were already in the box for a long time. He fished out a tape and examined it.  
  
"Dr. Kadowaki and Matron. Who're they?" he asked.  
  
"Dr. Kadowaki's our infirmary lady and Matron's my wife's nickname to the kids," Cid answered, trying to arouse his interest on the tape. "They're the only elder couple who submitted their entry."  
  
Alex Axel turned his head around to look into Cid's brown eyes through the thick eyeglasses. His eyes spoke, "I didn't know you're willing to risk your wife's safety."  
  
"Don't worry, my wife's an ex-Sorceress and she's from a family of Centran nomads," he replied.  
  
"People sees us as two old ladies but we'll prove that we're as good as the younger teams," Edea's voice said on the television screen. Her image was a white woman with long black hair tumbling down to her hips and was clad in her usual black garment. Standing beside her was a fat woman with her hair tied up into a small ball stuck at the back her head and clad in a doctor's uniform.  
  
"Hopefully. We just want to feel young again," Dr. Kadowaki said, giggling.  
  
"Hi, I'm Rachel and this is my partner Daniel and we're part of a groupie called the Trepies!" The vibrant young redhead girl cheered stretching her arms excitedly into the sky. Behind her was a giant portrait of their idol, Quistis Trepe, used as a background for her team's video presentation.  
  
"We're smart, sporty, shrewd, sarcastically funny and most importantly we would not let anyone double-cross Instructor Trepe," Daniel said soon afterwards.  
  
"And we want to win the million bucks to buy a yacht for Instructor Trepe, who wanted it so badly," added Rachel, who then hugged Daniel emotionally with tears in her eyes. "Oh this is so beautiful!"  
  
"GREETINGS," the image of a silver-haired woman with an eye-patch covering the right eye of Fujin said like an alien on its first encounter with earthlings.  
  
"She means that she says hi to anybody who's watching this tape. Oh yeah we forgot to introduce ourselves," Raijin turned to face Fujin and they both nodded in unison. "This lovely partner of mine here is Fujin and my name's Raijin. Ya know, we're named after the elements of..."  
  
"WIND THUNDER," Fujin interrupted. "MAKE IT BRIEF."  
  
Raijin turned to Fujin dumbly. "I thought that should be all... right?"  
  
"IMBECILE." The tape rolled until it showed an irate Fujin kicking Raijin, who was yelping helplessly in pain while rolling on the floor.  
  
"Oof! Now to the people who're watching this, pick US okay?"   
  
Alex Axel, who was squatting in front of the television screen, pulled out the tape from the VCR after watching it uninterestedly. He stacked it on top of the pile of tapes stacked up like a pyramid. Then, he reached out his hand lazily towards the inside of the box and felt the sleek plastic casing of the last tape. The TV showed the image of Selphie immediately after the tape had been played.  
  
"Hi everyone," the girl in yellow cheered in her own happy-go-lucky style. "My name's Selphie Tilmitt reporting here on a fight between my teammate Seifer and the enemy Zell Dincht!" her voice commentated in the filming of the fight, which occurred two weeks ago.  
  
Cid slammed his palm on the coffee table in an outrage, while Selphie's voice was rambling about the scene on the screen.  
  
"I can't believe my student is submitting something like this!" he exclaimed.  
  
"No," Alex Axel said in denial, while shaking his leg from left to right sitting comfortably on the sofa. "This is a powerful example of a short film and I love it," he said grinning from ear to ear watching Seifer dodging Zell's punches nimbly. "By the way, I've already picked the people who will make my show an instant hit."  
  
"This is my only chance to get my Squall back from the hands of that bitch," Quistis muttered hopefully while sitting on her desk waiting for Cid's next words for the day's announcement.  
  
"First of all thank you for supporting the idea by sending wonderful entries. Hopefully if this was interesting then we can try to put it on film," Cid said chuckling affably through the intercom speakers wired throughout the Garden. "Just kidding, I know it's impossible but let's don't waste time and get things straight."  
  
Nida and Shelley stopped their conversation in the park and silenced in deep thought and reverence during the pause. The digitalised voice of Cid Kramer soon sounded.  
  
"Dr. Kadowaki and Matron, Squall and Rinoa, Zell and Irvine, Daniel and Rachel, Nida and Shelley, Jack and King, Fujin and Raijin, Quistis and Xu, and finally Selphie and Seifer."  
  
Seifer perplexed after hearing his name by dropping his bloodstained gunblade uselessly to the dirt after slaughtering some Grats in the Training Center. He stood dumbfounded as his weapon clattered on the ground, muttering to himself. "What the fuck."  
  
"Oh and Selphie and Seifer, please come to the office before lunchtime. I've got something to say to you."   
  
***  
  
Alex Axel sat on the chair with his elbows pressing the panel while his fingers fiddled the buttons to replay the recorded progression of the race. The staff of the production had left their boss alone in the lonely broadcast van parked among the trailers at the edge of Deling City. As the images of Seifer and Selphie appeared on the screen, he turned the chair for himself to meet with Cid and General Caraway after detecting their ubiquitous footsteps in the silence.  
  
"Axel, you monster," Caraway started in his deep manly voice, calmly. "If you try to threaten the safety of my daughter again I will make sure that you'll spend the rest of your life in jail." Caraway turned away from the aggravated producer, leaving Cid Kramer to settle the rest.  
  
"Alex, I strongly urge that you stop endangering the safety of my students," Cid growled in aggravation, covering his face thinking of the next words. "Also, I simply do not recommend airing it as soon as possible, it needs editing. If not, I'll cancel the deal."  
  
Alex Axel began to smirk and rose up from the chair shuffling towards his old friend. He stood in front of Cid matching his height and the both of them engaged in serious eye contact.  
  
"You still know the Contract System, don't you?" Axel said nonchalantly. "I have the rights to keep the money you've funded for my show and I can terminate the agreement on profit shares. Besides, don't your students feel disappointed if you go back to the pit stop and say, "I'm afraid that the competition has been canceled and we'll all go back to our normal Balambian lives."? Remember they've come this far and they wanted the money so badly that they'll be up on their throats trying to oust each other. And don't forget my job and promotion is at stake if I'm unable to complete the program, friend."  
  
Cid paused doubtfully after listening to his reasoning. In his mind he was still upset about what had happened. "Do want you think is right, as long as you don't endanger my students any further just as we agreed in the production contract."  
  
"Don't worry about that. Your students will not expect the tasks they'll have to face ahead," Axel assured.  
  
***  
  
The crescent moon started to rise along with the beams and lights projected in the clear night sky of the city. Zell and Irvine came out from the front door of General Caraway's mansion to meet the clue box situated on the pathway. Beside it was a Galbadian Soldier who would hand the envelope to them on their checkout time.   
  
"I'm sorry, President Caraway had urgent matters. It is time to move on," the soldier handed the red envelope to Zell, giving his team a military salute. Zell eagerly pulled the detachable seal to rip the envelope open.  
  
"Make your way to the carnival at Zephyrus Square and find the clue hidden behind one of the booths," Zell said smirking. "That means more hotdogs buddy."  
  
"You don't get tired of the wieners don't ya?" Irvine answered irritably, while counting the money enclosed to make sure that they have received 100 gil for the leg. "First thing first, let's go out and get a taxi to get outta here."  
  
The taxi drove through the streets jam-packed with tourists and residents strolling along the sidewalks enjoying the sights of the city. The ride around the downtown area of the city, which was crammed with restaurants, cinemas and theaters and specialised shops, ended when the taxi arrived at an unlit clearing known as Zephyrus Square. Zell and Irvine dismounted the taxi to find the clearing overrun with crowds of people waiting for the workers to set up the gaming booths and oiling the various machinery which were mostly the rides. The humming of the generators vibrated the air and the square was immediately brightened with orange and white lights formed by arrangements of tiny bulbs, a welcome signal for keen tourists to enter their carnival.   
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin strolled down the pathway wearily as they were about to end their mandatory rest period. At once Fujin swiped the envelope from Caraway's representative and opened it with an unpleasant sound of paper ripped apart.   
  
"DESTINATION," Fujin hissed while she bowed to talk to the cab driver.  
  
"Can you take us to the Zephyrus Square Carnival?" Raijin translated in agitation. "We're on a race and we want to get there as soon as possible, ya know."  
  
"Okay no problem," the middle-aged driver signaled the couple to drop their loads in the trunk.  
  
"Damn we overslept," Rachel moaned as she examined her wristwatch to find that they had been five minutes late. "It's all your fault as well Daniel because you forgot to set the alarm."  
  
"Okay, okay," Daniel spoke tiresomely trying to keep his teammate from annoying him any further. Presently, Rachel took their envelope politely and was about to tear it open.  
  
"Make your way to the carnival at Zephyrus Square..." Rachel read. At this point Daniel's face was starting to lose colour and turn pale.  
  
***  
  
"What no clue?" Irvine exclaimed after the girl who was behind the ring-toss booth shook her head. "Are you sure about that?" Irvine repeated, but this time the teenage girl announced a solid 'no' answer and shoved him off to let the customers in. Irvine stomped his foot trying to release his tension. "Dammit we've searched for all the gaming booths already and all I got was a no for an answer," Irvine thought hopelessly while pacing around the square aimlessly. "Now where's Zell? I hope he doesn't sneak into another hotdog stand outside the carnival."  
  
"Anyone knows where to get hotdogs here?" Zell bellowed at the crowd queuing up to ride the Ferris Wheel.  
  
"Umm... Wiener City?" a young boy answered naively with his eyes filled with curiosity as he looked at the sour face of Zell's.  
  
"Goddammit! I can't believe that a carnival so huuuge like this doesn't even have a normal snack like hotdogs that was supposed to be the symbol of Deling City, while other carnivals like in Balamb serve at least the hotdogs without the bread. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"  
  
Tears started to form beneath the boy's eyes after Zell chided and eventually sniffled and sobbed tugging the jeans of a grownup beside him who seemed to be the boy's father.  
  
"Go and get someone your own size, punk," the father spat. "By the way, nice hair. You look like a muskrat."  
  
"MUSKRAT!?!?" Zell howled, gritting his teeth and clenching his fist tightly until the veins around his hand expanded. He showed his fist angrily at the father. "Nobody calls me a muskrat!"  
  
"Daddy does he want to kill me! Can we call the police to take him to the underground prison like in TV?" the boy wailed hugging onto the legs of his taller father. "I'm scared!"  
  
"Now there you are pardner," Irvine said walking towards the irate Zell with his hands stretching outwards. Immediately, he shoved Zell from the man's sight and said a few words of apology.  
  
"I know I can rely on that booming voice of yours," Irvine teased, rubbing his knuckles on Zell's head. "Can't you just behave like anyone else?"  
  
"But... but..." Zell tried to reason but was soon interrupted by Irvine's gesture.  
  
"I know you don't want people to call you CW and MR. But for heaven's sake we're in public and if we really get into trouble the mil would just fly away," Irvine calmly said. "Don't you want your own personal gym that you always wanted, which Balamb Garden doesn't have?"  
  
Zell nodded speechlessly. Irvine let out a sigh of relief. "Good. Now back to where we left off. I searched the whole western side but no clue. How about you?"  
  
"Same here. And it makes me hungry," Zell said, feeling his stomach rumbling endlessly. "Why aren't there any hotdogs in this hell?"  
  
"Food will come later," Irvine said, letting out a larger sigh than the first. "Looks like we'll have to start all over again."  
  
***  
  
"PROSTITUTES," Fujin muttered looking at the sight of barely dressed women lingering the red light district of downtown Deling City. "STUPID AND TRAITOROUS WOMEN!!"  
  
"Prostitutes are supposed to be fun to play with, ya know," Raijin said dumbly and was given three knocks in the head as a reward for his idiocy.  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin hissed. "HOPE YOU GET WEIRD DISEASE FROM BITCHES!" Fujin pushed herself on the seat tilting her head upwards and shutting her eyes momentarily. The shabby and unkempt buildings soon turned into a brightly-lit environment.  
  
"FINALLY," Fujin said as the driver halted in front of the cacophony of the carnival. She tabbed the fare beside the ashtray and squeezed herself out of the taxi with Raijin.   
  
"So many booths," Raijin commented sauntering around the square. "Can we play a game, puh-lease?"  
  
"IDIOT," Fujin screeched and turned away from her pea-brain partner to head for the ticket booth as a start.  
  
"YOU KNOW WHERE CLUE IS?" Fujin asked briefly at the dried-up old man in front of the desk.  
  
"You've come to the right place," the man stretched his long arm to reach the empty space for something stored beneath the desk. Then the hand appeared from beneath the counter with a sealed red envelope firmly gripped.  
  
"I didn't know you're lucky honey," Raijin said from behind Fujin. "I thought I read somewhere that brutal women don't have luck finding a relationship."  
  
Fujin reacted by kicking onto his leg, hiding a smile as she eagerly unsealed the envelope in her hand. "BUS."  
  
"Take a bus to Rancher Fort and once you reach there, look for the clue atop the town's outpost. Buses will only operate from 6.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m."  
  
"NO TIME," Fujin said looking at her watch which displayed the current time of 2231 hours.  
  
Zell walked the pavement of the carnival aimlessly at random booths in the search for their most wanted clue. Zell turned away from the man behind the shooting booth and found Fujin and Raijin leaving the ticket counter.  
  
"Oh man Mrs. Long John Silver and her counterpart are here already? I can't believe it," Zell squinted his eyes and focused on the bordered sheet of paper with writing on it resembling the route info, which Fujin tried to conceal it by stuffing it into her belt pouch. "Is that the clue that we're looking for?"  
  
Zell crept up to the ticket booth among the children and tourists lingering the empty spaces trying to hide from the duo. Raijin sensed a foreign vibration within the crowd and turned to face them.  
  
"Hmm... was anyone there?" Raijin asked himself goggling at the clusters of children holding balloons, which floated above the pack. Suddenly, his eyes spotted a clump of blonde hair jutting outwards moving across the sea of people like a shark. "Must've been some kind of new toy."  
  
Finally, Zell arrived at the blue booth in front of the bent old man. He pounded his palm heavily rattling the counter.  
  
"Do you have a clue?" Zell asked casually. Immediately the person in front of him arched downwards and sprang back up with the red envelope.  
  
"Finally!" Zell said thoughtfully to himself, punching in the air with glee as he snatched the clue eagerly from the man's wrinkled hands. "I knew I'm not stupid like Irvine always sez. Now where to find Irvine?"  
  
***  
  
Selphie stood on the mat receiving her share of the envelope. Presently, the CC group team and the instructors were freshening up and getting ready for the leg. It was exactly 11.30 p.m.  
  
"Make your way to the carnival," Selphie read in a singsong cheery tone. "The carnival will open from 9.00 p.m. until 3.00 a.m."  
  
Seifer tried to liven himself to match his newfound girlfriend's joviality. Nevertheless, the impact of the race, the stress seeped deeper into his veins until he could not afford to curve his lips into a smile. However he managed to squeeze into a taxi and lulled into a short nap.  
  
***  
  
"I can't believe you've wasted time hanging around with the ladies at the shooting booth, Irvine," Zell argued, arching forward from the leathery seat of the taxi.  
  
"What's your point?" Irvine tilted his hat to uncover his face, grinning. "You did the same for hotdog huntin'."  
  
"I do have a point," Zell insisted, pointing his finger rudely in front of Irvine's line of vision. "From now on I deserve the respect that every teammate in the universe should have. I don't want to be pushed around and I want to do things the way I think it should be."  
  
Irvine tilted his body forwards and started to sound interested. "What did I do to you?"  
  
"Well..." Zell started thoughtfully. "You stopped me from going to the Metalhead live concert in Timber, you forced me to take the jump in Dollet, and, especially, you ate the true blue, original, only to be served every year, Deling City competition hotdog." Zell paused for breath after listing them down arduously. After that his tone turned triumphant. "And now I found the clue to show that I'm not the person to be pushed around like a dog, obeying everything his master says."  
  
Irvine started to chuckle behind his hat. Then he pulled of his hat and let it hung freely with a string bound loosely round his neck. "Are you trying to say that you want to be in charge of the team now?"  
  
"No..." Zell scoffed. "I mean, yeah, why not? I have the right to be leader for a day."  
  
"Okay then," Irvine said casually. "Now oh almighty pardner, where shall we stay for the night?"  
  
Zell hesitated and shrank back to his modest self. His mouth trembled with perspiration dripping down to the upper lip, muttering. "Oh now the jackass cowboy got me. I might as well put on a confident façade."  
  
Zell pulled out his wallet to inspect their budget. So far they saved 115 gil from the last three legs plus 100 gil received for the current leg minus another 10 gil for the taxi.  
  
"Driver. Take us to somewhere cheap to stay for the night."  
  
***  
  
"Carnival at Zephyrus Square. No problemo," Rinoa said refreshed and game for the leg, unlike her boyfriend Squall who was yawning sleepily throughout the morning.   
  
Rinoa and Squall started jogging down the street to the nearest taxi stand with their bulky backpacks jiggling. "Hurry, we've only got 2 hours before the carnival closes!" Rinoa cried frantically as they halted a taxi skidding down the tarmac.  
  
Squall plopped his back with a thud on the hard leather seats, letting his head swing to the left looking out the window. After Rinoa had given the directions, she leaned her head onto the cushion and her hands rubbing her thighs, staring nervously at the streetlights passed by. Squall positioned his brown eyes adoringly at Rinoa after detecting her troubled heartbeats.  
  
"Don't worry Rinoa, I have a hunch that we can still catch up," he whispered in the most comforting way but was not enough the break her aggravation. He started again, this time with his lips closer to her ears and his arms wrapped around Rinoa's waist snugly. "Don't worry you won't have to compete with Quistis for my sake, I'm through with her honestly. After the race and hopefully win the money, we'll go on the luxurious Around the World Cruise and get married under the starry night sky with that comet we've seen that night in Balamb."  
  
Rinoa carved a smile on her face and turned to face Squall's facial scar. "I didn't know you're a sweet talker, but Seifer's a better one," Rinoa replied jabbing onto Squall's stomach lightly. "But promise me that you'll never let that bitch flirt on you again."  
  
Squall answered with a weak nod. Subsequently, the both of them neared their lips and began to wrap their arms around each other.  
  
***  
  
Zell and Irvine finally arrived at a motel at the edge of the northern suburban district of the city. Zell walked into the motel with heavy steps, which startled Raijin and Fujin, who were about to receive their keys.  
  
"Hey guess who's here!" Zell said chuckling boisterously. "It's Mrs. Long John Silver eloping with her new boyfriend."  
  
"INSOLENT FOOL!!" Fujin's voice boomed resulting to some grumbles from the people upstairs. The receptionist tried to calm her down as she was glaring at Zell furiously with her single eye.   
  
"C'mon honey," Raijin said rattling their room key, glancing at Zell for the moment. "Let's call it a day. We can get our revenge on them someday."  
  
Fujin stepped away from the counter and strode to approach Zell and Irvine. "Don't you forget that I helped you to look for the clue!"  
  
Fujin stomped on the floor, then turned and strode away to the outside with Raijin tagging along like a dog. Zell and Irvine then walked to the counter with soft steps.  
  
"I'm sorry we've got no rooms," the receptionist announced and clicked the 'no vacancy' sign on the counter.  
  
"Oh dear there goes our room," Irvine sighed babyish. "So now what should be do? You're the leader after all."  
  
"Umm..." Zell thought. "We'll just sleep at the playground bench out there. They look cosy by the way."  
  
"Fine with me!" Irvine chirped. The both of them dragged their heavy loads to the playground and occupied on bench each for the night.  
  
"This sucks."  
  
***  
  
Rinoa stretched out a shawl and wrapped it around her head and covered her mouth. "No I don't want to split up, we could get lost."  
  
"Fine," Squall groaned, leaning on a pole near the entrance. "We'll start at those booths near the clowns."  
  
Squall and Rinoa at first jostled hand in hand towards the area and then split up to different booths.  
  
"Do you have a clue? We're in the middle of a race," Rinoa said with her voice muffled behind the shawl. Rinoa paced away from the gaming booth after she was given negative response.  
  
"Red envelope. Do you have it?" Squall asked with his fingers drawing a rectangle in the air.  
  
"Hey aren't you the guy who almost got killed by the Sorceress?" the girl said sheepishly, examining Squall's facial features.  
  
"Please it's an emergency," he insisted.  
  
"Black hair, brown eyes, pale skin, scar running from the forehead to the left cheek," she muttered absent-mindedly. "You really fit the description someone gave to me. Oh well if you're not him then sorry I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Whatever," he said coolly. "Are you sure? Red envelope with clue in it."  
  
"Sorry no," she answered, which was replied with an unfriendly walk-away. "Is he really that guy? Oh well there goes my autograph."  
  
Squall and Rinoa approached each other with frustration hanging around them like a cloud.  
  
"I can't find it!" Rinoa whined.  
  
"Whatever. Same here."  
  
Rinoa took a peek at her watch and started to widen her eyes in worry. "Oh no. We've only got thirty minutes left and that's not enough to search the whole carnival."  
  
She wrapped her arms around Squall and laid her head on his chest, looking at the thinning crowd of the carnival. "We're done for..."  
  
"Cut it out," Squall growled causing Rinoa to relinquish her arms from hugging Squall. "Keep your hopes up," he said briefly. "Stay here."  
  
Squall released his backpack on the ground and started running while dodging people to the general ticket booth. The old man was already expecting his arrival to receive the final envelope.  
  
"Do you know which booth has the envelope?" he asked impatiently. "We're on a race and it's an emergency!"  
  
"Hold your horse and I'm coming," the man bent down and then a red envelope popped up on the counter. Squall immediately grabbed the clue and left the booth without thanking the old man.  
  
"Youngsters nowadays."  
  
"You've got the clue!!" Rinoa cheered with relief, coiling her hand around Squall's neck. "What does it say?"  
  
"Take a bus to Rancher Fort and once you reach there, look for the clue atop the town's outpost. Buses will only operate from 6.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.," Squall read calmly.  
  
"Oh Squall," Rinoa cried with tears twinkling in her eyes. "We can still catch up!"  
  
***  
  
"Super-duper-mega-bummer!" Selphie whined, slamming the receiver angrily on the holder. "All the hotels are vacant."  
  
"What's the use?" Seifer said casually resting on the bench.  
  
"Seifer you can be so lazy and unhelpful at times," she scolded walking out of the phone booth to the park bench, frowning. Seifer shoved his legs away from the bench allowing Selphie to sit beside him.  
  
"Does your head hurt honey?" Selphie cooed rubbing her fingers on the bandage wrapping around Seifer's forehead.  
  
"Don't worry about the head," Seifer replied, grabbing onto her fingers and slid them to his cheek. "Do you know what made you appealing to me?" Selphie shook her head lightly. "You're that person who is cheerful and carefree all the time, and that gives you the power to create a smile on everybody's face and shape a happier world for everyone." Seifer paused and turned his head towards the stars glittering in the night sky. "I'm happy enough that you're willing to tame the beast within me."  
  
"Oh no, don't say that," Selphie said, moving her face to meet Seifer's. "I'm so excited that you can bear my attitudes and tastes and all. You know my pals would scream like women and throw up when they step into my room."  
  
"I'm looking forward to your room," Seifer said sarcastic, which caused Selphie to giggled and returned the smile into her.  
  
Eventually, a taxi screeched and stopped on the road a few metres from their bench. The taxi's engine was still humming and the door swung open to reveal Rinoa in a shawl, surfacing from the taxi and then strutting towards them.  
  
"Hey Rinoa," Selphie greeted, waving her hand at her.  
  
"I can guess you're going to sleep in the park tonight," Rinoa said with strands of her hair fluttering to the light breeze. "Why don't I take you two to stay with us in style!"  
  
***  
  
"Super-duper-mega-cool!" Selphie cheered lunging towards the fluffy mattress of the king-sized bed. "Wow Rinoa I like the Presidential Suite."  
  
"No problem. I'm the first daughter and my dad is going to pay for all this," she grinned, sitting on the same corner of the bed beside Selphie.  
  
"I wish I could be first daughter or princess of some kingdom," Selphie sighed thoughtfully. "Hey maybe Sir Laguna can be my adoptive dad!"  
  
Shortly, Seifer's blonde complexion popped out of the opened screen, which divides the two adjoining bedrooms. Selphie extended her arms for Seifer but Rinoa walked gently with the laces of her nightie swaying towards him.  
  
"Sorry Seifer, this is a girl zone," she said, grinning.  
  
"Selphie's supposed to help me change the bandages," Seifer explained, but was replied with Rinoa's finger sealing his lips.  
  
"Rinoa told me that Squall's going to help you after his shower," Selphie explained, waving her legs, which were dangling from the bedside left and right.  
  
"No problem there. Goodnight," Seifer retracted his head from the opening and reconnected the screen into a wall. Selphie picked up her towel and bedclothes ready for a restful shower.  
  
"Too bad we've only got two to three hours to stay here," she sighed.  
  
"Oh I don't count on that," Rinoa remarked. In confusion Selphie disappeared into the bathroom while Rinoa leaned towards the nightstand and started dialling the telephone.  
  
"Is this the Deling City Bus Company? I'd like to purchase tickets to Rancher Fort? You can't sell tickets this hour? What if I'm Rinoa Heartilly, President Caraway's daughter?"  
  
Squall surfaced from the bathroom only to be dressed with a towel wrapped around his navel. Across the bedroom was Seifer, re-bandaging his injured head in front of the dresser mirror.  
  
"Seifer, I told you that I'll help you with the dressing," he said shuffling towards Seifer, whose head was bandaged disorderedly. He tucked his fingers below the loose bandages and tugged a part down to make it parallel to his shoulder.  
  
"Ouch," Seifer squealed. "I can manage myself, thanks."  
  
"I don't believe that you can be this nice Seifer," Squall spoke in a serious tone.  
  
"What do you mean?" Seifer questioned in puzzlement. Then his reflection started to sneer back evilly at Squall.  
  
"So you've finally revealed your true colours," Squall commented.  
  
"Ah Squall, you're becoming a more of a wimp nowadays," Seifer snickered. "Usually you would draw your gunblade at near that cold blade of yours at my throat."  
  
"You're no better than me," he scoffed. "I don't change to manipulate other people's feelings like you!"  
  
"Oh you're saying that I'm playing nice in front of Selphie," Seifer pulled the bandage until it was wrapped snugly round his head and as the finishing touch he closed the bandage with a clip. He then spun around to make eye contact with Squall.  
  
"If you hurt Selphie in any way, I'll make sure that I'll wipe you out from the face of the planet," Squall vowed with his balled fist trembling. At this point Seifer started to snicker hysterically.  
  
"Hehe... what's this? Looks like Squall has a third lover," Seifer teased.  
  
"My concern with my former comrade is none of your business," Squall said, now standing upright. "I'm going to sleep on the couch."  
  
"Why thank you for your kindness."  
  
"Guess what Selphie," Rinoa said lying on the bed facing Selphie who just got out of the bathroom.  
  
"Yeah?" Selphie spoke rubbing her hair gently with a towel to dry them.  
  
"I've booked bus tickets for all of us leaving for Rancher Fort at ten a.m. And the other good news is, there'll be only two seats left and that means we'll be ahead of four other teams."  
  
"Woohoo!" Selphie cheered. "Great."  
  
Selphie donned the silk pajamas provided by the hotel and flung her body on the bed. She immediately shut her eyes after the lights were out. She tried to sleep but she could not remove the thought repeating itself annoyingly from sticking in her mind like a parasite. What if Rinoa and Squall planned this and we'll be left behind when we got up? In the end, she was mentally awake although she slept peacefully throughout the night.  
  
***  
  
The sky began to turn reddish-orange as a new day dawned over the cityscape. Zell woke up from the damp bench and turned to sit upright causing his back to twist in ache.  
  
"Man sleeping on the bench is totally uncool," Zell muttered rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. "Where's Irvine?"  
  
"Mornin'," Irvine greeted approaching Zell with a cup of coffee he got from the vending machine in his hand.  
  
"Hey where's my coffee?" Zell asked crankily.  
  
"Okay I'll get you a cup," Irvine said, gulping down the last drop of the warm liquid. "By the way, do you know what time is it?"  
  
Zell replied with a weak shake of the head.  
  
"It's 7.00 a.m. and Fujin and Raijin just left to the bus terminal," Irvine said matter-of-factly.  
  
"What the fuck," he muttered, turning his attention to the spot where he placed his alarm clock, which was smashed into pieces. A dent of the metal piece matched Zell's knuckles perfectly. "Shit."  
  
***  
  
"Well we're all here except for Squall, Rinoa, Selphie, Seifer, Zell and Irvine," Rachel said waiting for the Galbadian Desert Terminal to open.  
  
"FOOLS," Fujin muttered, snickering by herself.  
  
"Ya know we've spotted Zell sleeping on the bench this morning and smashed his alarm clock with his fist," Raijin translated, which sparked off hysterical laughter among them.  
  
"That's so much like Zell," Quistis added.  
  
"You know I was Zell's roommate once and there was one morning where I found a smashed-to-bits clock on the floor and beside it was Zell sleeping. When he got up he complained about the mysteriously headache he had the whole day and I had the hunch that he used his head to break his clock when he fell from the bed," Jack joked adding to more laughter. "And I didn't tell him about it until now."  
  
"Oh what have we here, the jackass is up to his mindless cracking tales," Zell's voice said as it spread to the group all clad in light clothing. Zell and Irvine were then seen approaching towards the group slinging their backpacks.  
  
"Good morning Zell and Irvine," Xu greeted affably. "Had a good night's rest?"  
  
"Now that you mentioned it," Zell muttered squirming to the backache he got in the morning.  
  
"Sorry Zell I was just livening the group since we're so down altogether," Jack said trying to sound apologetic.  
  
"Aww you don't have to apologise. You have the jackass genes in your DNA anyway," Zell taunted nastily, then sounding a bit cocky. "Anyway I'm about to announce that I'm the new leader of the group and I can do whatever I want if anyone is in my way."  
  
"Congratulations," Daniel muttered with his lips curving upwards. "Cocky dude."  
  
"So any hot news?" Zell asked, which was replied with voices saying 'Oh no, not really'.  
  
"Man he's getting annoying I wonder what made Irvine pass up his leadership rights," Daniel whispered at Rachel.  
  
"This is going to be bad," Quistis thought with her hand covering her head hanging downwards sleepily. "Where are the other two teams?"   
  
The clock hanging by a chain in front of the platforms struck eight and the bell chimed throughout the building signalling the new hour. A bus attendant opened the gate of the Galbadian Desert Terminal, which incited the teams to flood into the area. The teams hustled towards the counter getting the first line. It was Fujin and Raijin.  
  
"Not fair, they pushed me!" Rachel whined letting herself to be pulled to her feet by Daniel after she tumbled on the floor. She sensed a jolting pain in her knee and pulled up her jeans to uncover a bleeding knee. "Oh it hurts!"  
  
"Don't worry and calm down," Daniel said with his arms around his partner getting her to the platform seats. Rachel stretched out her injured leg and let it to lie on Daniel's lap. Daniel zipped open a compartment of his backpack to receive his mini first aid kit. He cleaned the wound with bottled water and then applied antiseptic on it, which stung causing Rachel to squirm. Daniel deftly wrapped the wound with a small roll of bandages.  
  
"There you go, as good as new!" he said. "Try standing up."  
  
Rachel moved her leg back to the ground and lift herself slowly until she was standing upright. Then she took a few steps forward. "Thanks, it didn't hurt much."   
  
"Phooey, we've missed the 10.00 a.m. bus!" Jack cried followed by King slamming his palm on the counter angrily. "When's the next bus?"  
  
"12.30 p.m."  
  
"Okay we'll take that."  
  
It was after nine in the morning and the remaining two teams arrived at the platform. Quistis stood up from the seat to stand face to face with Rinoa.  
  
"Good morning Squall and Rinoa," Quistis greeted innocently. "I'm afraid that only 12.30 p.m. tickets are left. Fujin and Raijin bagged the tens."  
  
Rinoa waved her finger from left to right in front of Quistis. "Don't count too much on that."  
  
"Miss Caraway, your tickets are ready," the ticket-seller said to the group. Rinoa raised her eyebrows and strutted to the ticket counter. Selphie shuffled wearily towards the seats and laid her body on a whole row of seats. Seifer energetically walked to Selphie and knelt beside her head.  
  
"Seifer, I didn't sleep much last night because I was worried that Rinoa would snake me," Selphie explained in a yawning voice with her eyes almost shut.  
  
"You rest up for awhile," Seifer advised holding on to Selphie's hand. He then stood up and spun to see Rinoa and Quistis exchanging blank stares at each other.  
  
"I've got the tickets," Rinoa teased in a singsong voice, letting the ticket flutter by the morning breeze. Quistis on the other hand, leaned by a pillar with her hand on the sturdy structure supporting her body, while her head started to hang downwards gloomily.  
  
"Bitch..." she muttered.  
  
"Don't forget that you're in my territory buster," Rinoa retaliated, then laughed hysterically causing anger to build up within Quistis. "You're powerless!"  
  
Quistis started to stand upright and with one flash, a red mark appeared on Rinoa's cheek.  
  
"You slut!" Rinoa spat rubbing her hurt cheek. Squall was beginning to approach the two women. "Squall, you're just in time."  
  
"What's the matter honey?" Squall said to Rinoa's ear softly, then coiling his arms around her waist swaying her.  
  
"Guess what," Rinoa showed her bruise to Squall and then pointed at Quistis, "She slapped me. Do something about that bitch!"  
  
"Squall..." Quistis voiced but was interrupted by Squall's deep thought.  
  
"Oh man I can't offend my former instructor, comrade and lover but I also have to make my girlfriend happy somehow for all she went through. Think Squall think!" Squall cleared his throat and rose his head to meet Quistis' blue eyes through her glasses. "Quistis I'm really upset that you hurt my girlfriend without any concrete reason. I think that from now on we will break our alliance and will not communicate with each other for good."  
  
Squall approached Quistis with small steps and jabbed her in the stomach. Quistis squirmed, with her hands holding her abdomen trying to sooth the pain. Rinoa was beginning to smile like a sphinx, only to expect more from Squall when he wrapped his arms around her again providing her the warmth she need to fight the cold morning weather. Xu rushed towards Quistis to expect her teammate to turn to her and, as if nothing serious happened, said, "I'm fine, I'm not hurt at all."  
  
***  
  
"Gawd it's stuffy here," Selphie complained, already sitting on her seat while the some other people were queuing outside. Seifer got in the bus and sat next to Selphie.  
  
"Why can't the guy turn on the air-conditioning?" Selphie whined struggling to slide the rusty window open.  
  
"Here let me help," Seifer reached out his arm across Selphie and with might he opened the sliding windows effortlessly to welcome the cool air outside. Selphie inhaled the semi-polluted air, which made her feeling drowsy and subsequently she tilted her head to lean by the window beams and fell into slumber.  
  
The green pastures dwindled into the scenery of a granite desert, with cacti populating most of the area and some tumbleweed rolled across the sands by the wind. The temperature was rising, causing Fujin to feel uncomfortable, especially when she felt a drop of water dripped onto her arm.  
  
"RAIJIN STOP SWEATING!" she grumbled. "ANNOYING."  
  
"I can't it's a natural sorta thing, ya know when it's damn hot out there and the air-conditioning was fried," Raijin said.  
  
"THEN GRAB A TOWEL AND WIPE YOURSELF DRY. YOU'RE ADDING HUMIDITY."  
  
A four-hour journey from Deling City ended up in the old outpost town of Rancher Fort, twenty-one miles from the edge of the desert. The driver parked the bus at the town's terminal and signaled his passenger to disembark. The passengers got down the bus to let the sun soak into their skin. They never expected the desert to be uncontrollably scorching.  
  
"Ugh, the sand burns!" Rinoa yelped after having particles of sand blown into her sandals. Squall, who was wearing green shorts and a white sleeveless shirt, started to put on his sunglasses and held his head up to spot a tall lookout tower among the water towers from afar.  
  
"There it is," Squall said, leading the pack to jostle towards the direction of the tower. Squall reached the lofty structure first and grabbed onto the warm wooden rungs of the ladder and began to climb up. Rinoa tilted her head upward to follow Squall's movements towards the hazy apex.  
  
"Squall be careful," Rinoa whispered, who was beginning to feel vertigo after staring at the fuzzy image of the sun for too long. Squall finally arrived at the summit and opened the clue box placed beside the railings to take out an envelope. Squall scaled down the tower to meet Rinoa with two large bottles of water and a roadmap in her hands.  
  
"Here Squall, your water," Rinoa said quickly while handing over a bottle to Squall.  
  
"Thanks," Squall said huffing and happily splashed down the cooling water down to his mouth. Rinoa then took the red envelope from Squall's grip and ripped it open.  
  
"Choose a marked vehicle nearby and drive yourselves to Wyatt Shooting Park."  
  
The couple immediately paced towards the line of convertible jeeps next to the greengrocer's and stuffed their backpacks into the trunk. Rinoa spread out the map of Galbadia Desert on the car's bonnet and scrolled her fingers across the first longitude to meet with the location of their next destination.  
  
"Found it let's go!"  
  
Squall hopped into the driver's seat and turned on the engine while Rinoa entered the back seats to enjoy the cooling sensation of air-conditioning.  
  
"Okay drive along Highway 18 until you reach a crossroad and then turn right into Highway 17 and drive on until you reach the place," Selphie instructed.  
  
"Got it," Seifer affirmed diverting the jeep into the highway. Suddenly, he heard a faint noise from behind and took a peek at the front mirror to see Selphie bending down with illness. "Are you alright there?"  
  
"Fine," Selphie replied tilting her head slowly and sickly to meet the front mirror. She immediately pulled out a ply of tissue and covered her mouth. "I don't feel right today," she whined weakly.  
  
"WHERE?" Fujin hissed, clutching the steering wheel tightly. Behind her was Raijin rotating and looking at the map dumbly.  
  
"What was that place again?" Raijin asked facing the front mirror. "Watts hooting perk something like that?"  
  
"IMBECILE," Fujin screeched, pressing on the brakes hardly until the jeep came to a full stop on the curbside. "GIVE!" Fujin said clenching her teeth, turning around to snatch the map violently from Raijin's hands.  
  
"PROTOZOAL CRETINOUS FOOL," she mumbled, reading the map.  
  
"I'm sorry honey," Raijin squeaked with puppy eyes glancing back at her.  
  
"SORRY IS NOT ENOUGH," she answered throwing the paper at him angrily.  
  
"We're finally here. Man it's hot," Rinoa said fanning with a brochure. Squall drove the jeep to an empty space and parked it there. The couple pulled themselves out of the stuffy vehicle and hustled to the clue box just outside the park entrance.  
  
"ROADBLOCK. Who has steady hands and good eyesight?" Rinoa then pointed at Squall.  
  
"No honey, you," Squall said pointing his finger back at Rinoa and stared at her eyes.  
  
"Fine," she said abruptly, tearing off the first layer of the clue. "Holy cow."  
  
"Yay, fresh air at last," Selphie cheered with her arms stretched out inhaling the free-of-dust air.  
  
"Who has steady hands and good eyesight?" Seifer asked.  
  
"You of course. You use a gunblade," Selphie answered. Immediately, Seifer proceeded to the instructions.  
  
"Complete the three tasks below. 1. Shoot any of the three cans with a rifle. 2. Use a sniper to hit the bull's eye. 3. Shoot a flying target with a pistol."  
  
Seifer put on goggles, earmuffs and gloves and held the rifle in his hand. Beside him was Rinoa with her close to her rifle, winking one eye aiming at the middle can ten meters away.  
  
"Damn," Rinoa grumbled after missing her shot. She then turned to Seifer trying to disturb him.  
  
"I bet I'll beat you Seifer," she jeered sarcastically. Her soft voice was able to penetrate the solid earmuffs causing Seifer to get distracted and missed his target.  
  
"God can you stop distracting me?" he growled at her. Rinoa fidgeted and lipped 'I can't hear you.'  
  
Rinoa returned to her concentration. Behind her was Squall.  
  
"You need to align it a little to the bottom," he rambled. Rinoa gave a light kick on his knee and pulled the trigger. The bullet exploded out of the rifle and sped right into the tin can, causing it to fall off the wooden stand.  
  
"Wow did I get it?" A green light flashed from the target zone. Squall gave his girlfriend a pat on the back and the both of them followed an arrow to the next area.  
  
The second area was at the eastern section of the park. A few yards from the shooting line were a row of bull's eye targets. Rinoa lifted up the heavy sniper gun and rested the hilt on her shoulder. She looked through the scope and aligned the gun a little to the right and a little upwards. Her arms shook causing the target to blur through the scope. Rinoa frustrated pressed the trigger and a dark spot appeared inches from the center.  
  
"Try to calm your arms," Squall instructed.  
  
"Oh shut up."  
  
A few failures later Seifer and Selphie were seen jogging towards them. Seifer lifted the sniper vigorously and started to aim. With one shot, the bullet hit into the center of the circular target.  
  
"Seifer, you rock!" Selphie cheered, then led Seifer to the final task zone. Rinoa pulled her eye of the scope giving it a little rest. She took off her goggles to wipe of the perspiration sticking on it.  
  
"Rinoa, don't give up!" Squall said.  
  
"You're such a pain in the ass," Rinoa spat, wiping off the sweat from her forehead. Then she wielded the sniper again and tried to stop her arms from trembling. Rinoa managed to make a success out of her attempt. She dumped the sniper on the sand and ran with Squall towards the next area.  
  
Fujin and Raijin arrived at the park entrance.  
  
"I'LL DO IT."  
  
The duo arrived at the first task zone. Fujin immediately filled the rifle with bullets.  
  
"Uh Fujin I think you need to wear safety..." Raijin's words was interrupted with a bang of the explosion. "...gear."  
  
The can fell on the sand and the green light flashed back at Fujin. Without hesitation, they both ran following the arrows. Raijin brought the safety gear with him just in case.  
  
"Use a sniper to hit the bull's eye Fujin," Raijin said, handing the goggles and earmuffs to Fujin. "Don't forget to wear these ya know."  
  
"THANKS." Fujin put on the safety gear and lifted the sniper from the shooting booth. She ended the trial after two attempts. Fujin dumped the sniper and began to pace with Raijin on her tail.  
  
The third zone was revealed to be inside a building and inside a room was a chamber with tennis balls flying and bouncing around. Rinoa fired blindly at the chamber from the shooting line. In the end a red light flashed at her.  
  
"This is impossible," she complained.  
  
"Seifer, you can do it," Selphie sang and clapped her hands. Seifer lifted his head to face the chamber and stretched out his hand ready to fire.  
  
"Dang."  
  
"You need to be calm," Squall grumbled.  
  
Rinoa tried not to listen to him but was deeply distracted. The tennis balls soon had Squall's faces on them, laughing hysterically at Rinoa.  
  
"Aaaahhh!!!!" Rinoa closed her eyes firing all the bullets in her gun with her hands moving randomly. Subsequently, a green light was lit and a red envelope appeared in a slot in front of Rinoa.  
  
"See I told you you can do it," Squall commented, running towards the exit with Rinoa beside him.  
  
Rinoa pouted at Squall, reading the clue to herself not wanting Squall to read with her.  
  
"Congratulations, you have been completed the Roadblock and prove yourself to have acute senses. Go back to your vehicle and go on a lookout for the next clue hidden around the parameters Galbadian Desert Prison."  
  
Fujin and Raijin arrived at the third task area, bending down, holding their knees and out of breath. Selphie and Seifer were surprised to meet the duo.  
  
"No fair," Selphie whined, stomping her foot on the ground firmly. "I thought you two are supposed to be lost."  
  
"PESKY BRAT," mumbled Fujin, which was followed by an uproar from Seifer and Selphie. She wiped off the perspiration from her forehead and immediately walked to the gun shelf, while the couple euphorically ran out of the building with their clue waving in hand.  
  
It only took Fujin one attempt to claim their envelope. The duo jogged down the stairs towards the exit, with Raijin reading softly. "Look out for the next clue hidden around the parameters Galbadian Desert Prison."  
  
Seifer was seen turning the ignition key profusely, struggling to power the jeep's weak engine. Fujin hopped like a rabbit into the front seat, jabbing the car key into the ignition keyhole. Seifer finally got the engine running, reversing the car blindly and hit the opponent's dashboard. He turned the wheel clockwise, moved the gear to first and hit the accelerator hard; causing the jeep to burn rubber while it sped out of the parking lot. Seifer started to mellow down driving on the highway. He looked at his front mirror, seeing that the damaged jeep was tailing him, with Fujin, the driver, looking back in fury.  
  
***  
  
"Well we're here," Rachel cheered trying to break everyone's moodiness. The barren scenery of the desert turned into rows of wooden buildings of townships, just like what Rachel saw in cowboy movies.  
  
The bus came to a halt and everyone rushed to escape the stuffiness. Quistis took a deep breath, feeling like she had not breathed the wilderness for a long time. Rejuvenated, Xu and Quistis led the other teams to the base of the outpost. Xu gingerly climbed the ladder to the top of the outpost. At the summit, she looked around to see nothing but sand with clusters of unknown objects dotting the area. The sun was hanging dizzily in the horizon, causing her to shield her eyes from the blinding rays when she scanned the parameters.  
  
"Are you okay there?" Quistis yelled, looking up at the hazy apex in her sunglasses. A drop of water dripped from the cold water bottle and hit the sand and was instantly evaporated.  
  
Xu scaled down the ladder and fell gently in front of her partner. She exchanged the clue for a bottle of water and happily gulped down a mouthful.  
  
"Choose a marked vehicle and drive yourselves to Wyatt Shooting Park."  
  
***  
  
"Phew, it's getting hotter," complained Raijin, who then opened the window welcoming a blast of air into the stuffy jeep. The travel catalogues strewn all over the back seat flew out of the window by a tornado.   
  
"Huh? Honey, are you mad at me or what?" Raijin squealed, with his shirt billowing freely to the wind.  
  
"CURSES SORRY EXCUSE FOR A JACKASS," Fujin mumbled. Veins started to pop out on her forehead as she pressed the accelerator pedal hardly. The jeep started to near Seifer and Selphie's jeep dangerously.  
  
"Seifer, they're tailgating!" Selphie whined, looking out from the back seat at Fujin's jeep, which was next by theirs closely.  
  
"Crazy woman driver," Seifer grumbled. "What she's trying..."  
  
Seifer's ranting got disrupted when Fujin bumped on the side of the jeep. The side mirror broke off and fell uselessly on the highway and the jeep started to skid to the far left. Seifer used all his might turning the jammed steering wheel to avoid crashing on the curb. Behind him, Selphie vomited sicklier than before.  
  
"Fuck you Fujin," Seifer spat, squinting at Fujin's jeep, which was leading comfortably in front of them. He slammed the accelerator hard and shifted the gear to the highest level.  
  
"Uh, Fujin," Raijin said, tapping onto Fujin's shoulder while he turned his head looking at the jeep behind them.  
  
"WHAT NOW," Fujin screeched annoyingly. Fujin started jolting forwards as the enemy jeep bumped vigorously at the back of their vehicle. She accidentally slammed on the brakes and the jeep skidded towards the right into the cactus field a few yards away from the road. Seifer and Selphie's jeep whizzed gleefully past the duo.  
  
Raijin gained his consciousness and in a daze he rose from the seat. He soon found the jeep crashed against a giant cactus.  
  
"What happened? Why am I having this funny headache?" he wondered. He then turned to the driver's seat. He blinked his eyes to convince himself about the red fluid dripping from the steering wheel. He arched his body forward to find Fujin's head had sunk in the airbag stained with blood.  
  
***  
  
The Desert District Prison signboard whooshed away from Squall and Rinoa's jeep cruising along the highway.  
  
"There it is," Rinoa stretched her hands, wrapping around Squall and pointed at the three screw-like spires jutting out of the desert. "The infamous underground prison."  
  
Squall diverted the jeep into the off-road, heading towards an unknown horizon. Around the road was endless series of white chunks of rock and desert plants. The dust swept by the movement of their vehicle almost choked Rinoa to death. The road soon ended in a massive clearing, which was nothing but sand.  
  
"I found it," Rinoa said, giving hand signals to Squall to drive the jeep to the spot. Squall parked the jeep in front of the clue box beside an overgrown saguaro. Rinoa took the envelope and ripped it open. A compass fell out from the envelope and landed on the sand softly. Wind started to pick up and particles of sand and dust were flying all over. Rinoa edgily combed her hair with her fingers to let the sand out from sticking onto her scalp.   
  
"DETOUR: Heat Up or Cool Down.   
  
Heat Up: Exit back to the highway and drive to the Old Desert Station. Once you get there, go to the desert express platform and lift twenty-five bags of cargo into the train to get your next clue.  
  
Cool Down: Starting from the location of the clue box, follow these compass directions, 14 miles at 40º from the east and 15 miles at 70º from the north, which will lead you to an oasis. Once you get there, fill five tanks of water from the lake and mount it on a camel."  
  
"The station's 60 miles from here, so I suggest that we'll take the oasis," Rinoa said, folding the clue into her pocket.  
  
"But we don't have a compass," Squall reminded.  
  
"Dang I remembered there was something heavy enclosed in the envelope." Rinoa started to bend down and on all four scanned the ground for the compass. Frustrated, she arched back up and rubbed her palms to remove the sand. "It's no good."  
  
"It's your fault, not mine," Squall teased, hopping back into the driver's seat. "Hop on. We're going to the station."  
  
***  
  
"Easy-peasy," commented Irvine, who was now heading to the second task zone leaving the other racers who were struggling with their rifles. Daniel could not resist the tingling sensation in his limbs when he aimed with his rifle.  
  
"Oh Daniel," Rachel whined with her hand covering her forehead, agonising every of his failed attempts. The agony greatens as Xu and King finished the task, leaving the couple alone.  
  
"It's been a long time I actually gotta use this baby," Irvine said picking up the sniper from the table. Not far away were two young ladies practising archery and his womanizer self did not want to miss this chance.  
  
"Hey ladies," Irvine greeted in a friendly manner rubbing the tip of his hat. His mood broke when Zell tapped rudely on his shoulder.  
  
"Could you stop womanising for the mean time?" he blared.   
  
Irvine rubbed his earlobes with his pinky. "Aw... can't I just have some fun for a while?"  
  
"That's out of the point! We're on a race and you have a job to accomplish!" Zell scolded.  
  
"I was about to do that," Irvine said casually. He pointed the gun at Zell's head, then to the targets and the bullet burst out of the barrel. Zell could feel the bullet whooshed past his cheek and the movement burned. Irvine moved his head signaling Zell to look at the bull's eye Irvine created.  
  
"Wow that was impressive," one of women applauded.  
  
"Can we see that again?" the other said.  
  
"Sorry girls," Irvine said coolly in his cowboy accent. "I have another job to do."  
  
"Tch!"  
  
***  
  
Fujin woke up with a blurry vision. Slowly, her senses sharpened and found herself lying in the passenger seat of the jeep. She turned her head to see Raijin driving and moved her hand to her forehead where it was aching badly since she got up. She could feel bandages and the pain struck her when she touched the gash beneath the bandage.   
  
"WHAT HAPPENED," Fujin asked, struggling to sit up straight bearing the pain.  
  
"No worries Fujin, I know where I'm going," Raijin assured. "You hit your head hard on the wheel when the jeep crashed. So I found a handy first aid kit from the jeep and wrapped your head."  
  
"GRATEFUL," Fujin thanked, blushing.  
  
"Whoa Fujin. Did you just smile?" Raijin roared. "I haven't see you smile since we met, even after the Ultimecia incident, ya know."  
  
"FORGET ABOUT IT," she insisted.  
  
"So feeling better honey?"  
  
"YES," she replied, resting the side of her head on a cushion. "REST."  
  
***  
  
"Look Seifer it's the prison," Selphie cheered wrapping around Seifer's chest playfully.  
  
"We'll go to prison if can just stop touching me okay?" he growled.  
  
"Aw... Seifer, why being so nasty?" she asked with large puppy eyes.  
  
"Found it, found it!" Selphie wailed. She hopped off the jeep and skipped to the clue box and gently pulled out the red envelope.  
  
"Oh a Detour," she said holding the enclosed compass in her other hand. "Heat Up or Cool Down. I say we do Cool Down!"  
  
"Here we are honey," Raijin said, pointing at the spires of the submerged prison at the end of the road. Raijin parked the jeep in front of the fence surrounding the prison compound.  
  
"Wait here and rest up honey. I'm going to look for the clue." Raijin dismounted the jeep and jogged aimlessly around the area.   
  
"FOOL," Fujin mumbled. "No, I shouldn't call him that. After all he helped me when I was in trouble although I was so mean at him at times. Ooh, now what's this I'm feeling? It felt different when I slept with him for the first time at Dollet. Is this what people call affection? The same thing that brought the sparkle between Squall and Rinoa?"  
  
Suddenly, a distant cry of help was heard and Fujin immediately heeded to the distress. "RAIJIN?"  
  
Fujin hopped out of the jeep. The pain struck her like lightning as she landed on the desert. She then followed the sound to a place where the clue was situated between the giant saguaros. Beside it was Raijin sitting on a rock, sucking his thumb.  
  
"Fujin I thought I told you to wait," Raijin said facing the horizon instead of Fujin who was close by.  
  
"I'M FINE NOW," she replied.  
  
"I hurt my finger when I touched the cactus just now," Raijin whined squirming in pain.  
  
At first Fujin wanted to slap him for being a wimp. However her sensitive side took control and she pulled out a band aid from her jeans' pocket.  
  
"OKAY NOW?" she asked.  
  
"Felt nothin' better," Raijin replied briefly. A strange feeling arose within Raijin as Fujin sat closely beside him.  
  
"Uh..." he stammered. "I feel kinda weird."  
  
"WHAT."  
  
"I don't know how to describe it but I feel warm inside when you fixed the band aid, ya know," Raijin confessed. He did not expect a slap on the cheek by Fujin.  
  
"LET'S CONTINUE," Fujin hissed walking away from Raijin. As usual Raijin tagged behind her, yowling in pain.  
  
***  
  
Squall and Rinoa arrived at the Old Desert Station. The couple ran towards the platform marked by the blue and yellow flag, where the Desert Express staff was awaiting their arrival.  
  
"Okay one of you station yourself on top of the wagon while the other lift these bags and throw it to your partner," a stern looking man instructed immediately after the couple arrived at the platform.  
  
Rinoa examined the bulky cargo. "Oh my god, they're huge."  
  
"Honey, go and wait for me at the top of the train," Squall said. He vigorous lifted the heavy load onto his shoulders while Rinoa climbed to the top of the wagon. Squall threw the bag at Rinoa hoping that his girlfriend would catch it, but she did not. The bag fell heavily on the train tracks with a thud.  
  
"Dammit, aren't you serious or what?" he scolded.  
  
"Sorry Squall," apologised Rinoa, who was sweating madly. "Man it's getting hot here."  
  
"Okay I'll do it again." Squall lifted another bag and carefully moved it next to the train. "On three."  
  
Squall threw the bag upwards and Rinoa managed to hold it a few seconds before it dropped again.  
  
"I'm sorry Squall. I can't do it," she whined.  
  
"It's your fault for losing the compass," Squall scolded. "Now get on it or else you know what."  
  
"You're mean, meany!"  
  
Squall projected the load at Rinoa and this time she grabbed it tightly and shoved it into the wagon.  
  
***  
  
"This is freaking me out," said Seifer, who was driving on the desert, which had an unchanged landscape after thirty minutes of driving. "Are you sure we're on the right track?"  
  
"I'm sure the compass doesn't lie," Selphie replied, knocking the compass with her hand. "Are we lost?"  
  
"Looks like it," Seifer said satirically.  
  
"Cool. I've never been deserted in a desert before," she said jokingly.  
  
"Finally," Seifer said in relief as he parked the jeep in front of a lonely building. "Wait here."  
  
Seifer gingerly walked to the entrance of the house. He knocked the door three times until a fat old woman with white cream dabbed all over her face and curlers fixed around her hair.  
  
"Excuse me. We're lost and could you tell us where to find an oasis around here?" Seifer asked lining the map on the porch.  
  
"Just head 3 miles north-west off here," she answered in a hostile manner. "It's big so you can't miss it sonny."  
  
"Thanks ma'am." Seifer ran to the jeep and returned to the driver's seat. The engine motioned again and Seifer turned the jeep towards the northwest direction.  
  
After a few minutes, a community of desert plants surfaced from the haziness around the desert. Seifer drove the jeep into the lush landscape and the atmosphere was different; it was cooler and more humid than the desert. He then parked the jeep in front of the oasis. Across the lake were a few camels with their riders and giant barrels about 500 gallons in volume.  
  
"Ugh, these tanks are so heavy," Selphie grouched trying to lift the barrel up.  
  
"Here let me help." Seifer tilted the top of the barrel and the barrel fell on its rounded side. Seifer and Selphie rolled the barrel down the shore.  
  
"Neat." Selphie scooped up some water and poured it into the barrel until it was all filled up. The both of them rolled the barrel back to the camels and mounted it onto the hump of the beast of burden.  
  
***  
  
"One more to go Rinoa." Squall lifted the final bag on his shoulders and threw it towards Rinoa. Rinoa deftly received it and hoarded it into the wagon. Then she slipped off the wagon and landed on the train tracks to obtain the red envelope.  
  
"Route info: You have completed the detour. Drive yourselves to the next pit stop, Spratley Manor in the town of Agave Junction at the edge of the Galbadian Desert."  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin arrived at the oasis. Raijin parked the jeep beside Seifer and Selphie's.  
  
"They're here!" Selphie bellowed. He released the barrel and let it roll into the water. The barrel crashed into the lake causing a huge splash of water drenching Selphie. "Woohoo!" she shouted. "But how are we going to get it out?"  
  
"No way I'm going to enter the water," Seifer said, backing away from the shore.  
  
"Oh yes you are." Selphie grabbed onto Seifer's arm and dragged him back to the shore. She pushed him on the back hard and Seifer splashed into the lake and water pattered lightly on the gleeful looking girl. Seifer pushed the barrel and dragged with his heavy wet trousers climbing back to shore. After filling the barrel, Selphie sealed it tightly and rolled it to the camel. Seifer took off his wet clothing and dried them on the warm body of the jeep.   
  
Selphie was soon seen running towards the jeep with the red envelope in her hand. "Drive yourselves to the next pit stop," she read huffing and puffing. "Agave Junction at the edge of the Galbadian Desert."  
  
***  
  
"I'll drive and you navigate," Zell ordered.  
  
"But you can't drive," Irvine reminded.  
  
"Oh, right."  
  
Irvine began to worry, as the landscape remained unchanged after an hour's driving.  
  
"Zell, do you think we're lost?" Irvine asked.  
  
"Of course not," Zell said trying to sound confident. He looked around the area to see nothing but sand dunes and fear trickled down his spine. The sun soon began to sink behind the horizon and the sky turned reddish.  
  
"We are lost dammit!" Irvine screeched. He slammed on the brakes hard until the jeep came to a full stop. Then he turned the jeep around and retraced the path back to the highway.  
  
"We're are we going?" Zell asked.  
  
"To the other detour."  
  
"I command you to turn around!" Zell demanded. "You can count on my directions. Tch!"  
  
"Since when your directions are reliable dude?" Irvine said glancing at Zell's reflection on the front mirror coldly. "You're nothing but a lost boy since I met you."  
  
"Well I never got lost before," Zell insisted.  
  
"That's because Squall's there to boss us around."  
  
"And don't forget I'm the boss here!"  
  
"Your role as boss is over Zell," Irvine retaliated. "I'm doing this for the good of the team."  
  
Meanwhile, Jack and King were also facing the same dilemma.  
  
"Man this is freaking me out," muttered King, who was the driver. "Are you getting those readings right?"  
  
"Dude, I think we should turn around," Jack suggested, with his voice quavering. "We've been everywhere and there's no sign of the oasis!"  
  
King started to get frustrated. "No way!"  
  
Suddenly, the engine died out and the jeep halted causing Jack to jolt forward and his head hitting the front seat.  
  
"Crap."  
  
***  
  
Squall and Rinoa arrived at the populous town of Agave Junction. At the center of the town stood a large golden building with historical importance: the Spratley Manor. Rinoa squeezed herself out of the jeep to see Seifer and Selphie coming out of their vehicle. Without hesitation, Rinoa dragged the relaxed looking Squall out of the driver's seat and raced to the pit stop with the opposing team. Selphie intentionally bumped on Rinoa causing her to pace a few steps back. The couple stole the lead and landed in front of Cid Kramer. Squall and Rinoa followed a few seconds later.  
  
"Seifer and Selphie, Squall and Rinoa, you're teams 1 and 2 respectively," Cid announced.  
  
"All right," Rinoa cheered, giving a high-five to Squall and Selphie.  
  
***  
  
"Shoot," Zell mumbled after he accidentally dropped the load, which eventually landed on the ground.  
  
"Hurry up butterfingers," Irvine jeered throwing another load at Zell. Finally the task had been completed and Zell climbed down from the top of the train wearily. Irvine opened the envelope and read.  
  
"Get to the next pit stop, the Spratley Manor at Agave Junction."  
  
The desert soon turned to darkness and the temperature dropped immensely to about 15 degrees centigrade. Zell and Irvine arrived at the brightly-lit manor and walked up the steps to meet Cid Kramer.  
  
"So what's the result?" Irvine asked curiously.  
  
Cid took a deep breath and then started to smile. The anxiety within Zell lessened as he started to mouth words.  
  
"Zell and Irvine. You're team number six."  
  
Irvine started stretching his arms and wrapped around Zell. Zell felt disgusted when his partner squeezed him tightly but he was kind enough to give him pats on the back.  
  
"We're undefeated!" Zell roared triumpantly.  
  
***  
  
  
  
"This is buddy," King said wrapping his hand around Jack's soldier, looking up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. A cold wind picked up, causing them to shiver. "It's the end."  
  
"We've been to many adventures anyway," Jack said leaning his back against the cold body of the jeep. Tears started to drip from his eyes and King reacted by giving him a pat on the back.  
  
Jack and King finally arrived at the pit stop where Cid and a man in cowboy attire waited for their arrival. The both of them climbed the steps towards them.  
  
"Welcome to Agave Junction," the person beside their headmaster greeted.  
  
"Jack and King," Cid started. "I'm sorry to tell that you're in last place, and you're eliminated from the race."  
  
At that point, Jack began to develop tears and sniffled. "We're unlucky to be stranded in the middle of nowhere."  
  
"The race's been great," King added emotionally. "It's a pity that it had to end so fast."  
  
"Our friendship has been proven," Jack took over. "I'm glad that I have a teammate like this guy who cared with the people around him." 


	6. Ciopanna Chasers and Hyacinth Potpourri

Ciopanna Chasers and Hyacinth Potpourri  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
Cid Kramer takes Seifer, Selphie, Fujin and Raijin to the darkened hallways of the Spratley Manor. A fearsome chill permeated Selphie's spine as the dimly lit portraits of previous owners and their families stare at her in a ghostly manner with their eyes wide open and their lips curving downwards. She held onto Seifer's stalwart arm and dug her head into his broad shoulders, hoping for a radiation of warmth to combat the coldness in her. The hallway ended with a dark door blended with the shadows, guarded by two huge suits of armour, waiting for the right time to strike their maces on unwary trespassers.   
  
Cid opened the door gently but a screeching creak echoed loudly, revealing a bleak office littered with obsolete documents and rusty file cabinets. At the middle of the shadowy room was a white fluorescent bulb hanging by its long retractable cord from the ceiling. Below it was a barely lit round table with six chairs neatly positioned into the points of an equilateral hexagon.  
  
"Please have a seat," Cid proffered affably. Everyone began to draw their seats quietly and sat down calmly. There was a look of terror but most of them were questioning about Cid's motive on bringing them to this nightly cellar.  
  
Selphie examined the wooden table with edges chewed off by termites. "This place is cool for playing Ouija," she thought gleefully.  
  
"Thank you for sparing some time with me," Cid started, signaling everyone to look at him in reverence. "This is going to be brief but it is of great importance.  
  
Cid firstly turned to Raijin and Fujin who are sitting close to each other. His wrinkled complexion and worn-out brown eyes gave a serious look but nonchalant impression to the duo.  
  
"Raijin and Fujin, since you two have been assaulted and injured by another team, you have been given 30 minutes plus an additional halved time difference between your team and the assailants of 15 minutes as extra time credit. Instead of 7.21 a.m., you'll be leaving at a new time 6.26 a.m., making you two the current leaders of the race."  
  
"As for Seifer and Selphie," Cid started again, turning his attention to the couple much more seriously than he did on Seifer's posse members. Selphie slid her chair closer and closer to Seifer's, making irritable scratching noises, wanting the warmth to shield her from the haunting chill which made her heart palpitate madly. "As you two are the assailants, you have been given a penalty of one hour plus 30 minutes, which is the time difference between you two and Fujin and Raijin arriving at the pit stop. Your rest period has been extended and your new launch time is 8.21 a.m. The good news is you are still in the race."  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin returned to their tent, tired but relieved after the meeting. Fujin crawled onto the bed and gently laid her head on the soft leathery pillow, soothing the wound on her forehead. She dimmed her flashlight until the tent was glowing warmly in orange from the outside. Raijin on the other hand busied himself by packing the luggage for the morning. He was so lazy that he stuffed a bunch of clothes at once into the bag, until pieces of clothing pricked out of the zip. Raijin took of his shirt and strew it onto a chair, revealing his dark reddish skin and washboard abdominal muscles. He sat down on the sleeping bag beside Fujin and then lowered his body gradually into sleeping position. He stretched his arms and placed his hands below his head, facing the roof as if he could penetrate the opaque fabric to view to starry night sky.  
  
"This is not my favourite position ya know," he said sleepily.  
  
"APOLOGY," Fujin replied, who turned her body to face Raijin. "Shall we switch places?"  
  
"WHOA!" he yelped, while lifting half of his body abruptly as if thunder struck him. "You don't sound like who you are ya know."  
  
"No, I am me," Fujin insisted, lifting her head and half of her body up to superimpose with Raijin's. Raijin could her mouth gradually squinching upwards.  
  
"No way," he strongly denied, shaking his head wildly in disbelief. "What happened to that loud and boomin' voice of yours? What happened to that slappin' and kickin' you usually give me when I do or say somethin' stupid? What happened to that sinister side of you..."  
  
Raijin's blabbering, full of concern, was interrupted when Fujin silenced him by touching his lips with her finger. Raijin tried to avoid from lip contact with Fujin when her face was getting closer to his. Finally, both lips met and Fujin wrapped her arms around Raijin's muscular shoulders. Raijin was scared, not knowing what her next move would be, but the sensation of feeling the sweet, fleshy lips of a woman on his was to be discerned as a long kiss, erotic and passionate.  
  
"Oops I forgot," Fujin said backing away after a brief moment of submissiveness, whence Raijin was anticipating the next best thing to happen. She climbed down and moved away from the bed towards her backpack. She pulled up two small perfume bottles with one hand and the other pulling off her eye patch and placing it neatly on the sandy floor. Raijin's heart pounded madly as she slowly turned around, too afraid to behold the unveiling of her what-was-thought-to-be terrifying impairment. Instead of the dark and hollow wound he imagined inchoately, it was a perfectly healthy eye with a beautiful aquamarine iris, which matched the other.  
  
"WHA..." Raijin became speechless as Fujin threw the two bottles, which bounced on the sand onto Raijin's blanket.  
  
"Use that one to get rid of your sweaty body odor and that one to get rid of that garlicky breath." Fujin bent down and zipped open the secondary compartment of the backpack and calmly dug through the stuffing of clothes searching for something eagerly. Eventually, she had found what she wanted to wear for a long time: A long red silky bed garment with extra thin shoulder straps and a V-shaped opening from the shoulders to her chest which could partly reveal her breasts. The bottom part was as short as half of her thighs. Loose and exposing, it was the sexiest bedroom gown she bought secretly from a boutique in Balamb. She surfaced from the outside, completely attired with the flamingly arousing garment and immediately posed in front of Raijin.  
  
Raijin sat on the leathery surface of the sleeping bag in meditating position. His mouth gaped widely as Fujin strutted back to him.  
  
"Wow you sure are more beautiful than Quistis or Rinoa, ya know," he commented in total disbelief. Fujin giggled to herself and pinned Raijin on the bed with all fours around him.  
  
***  
  
"Do you know what?" Selphie said, turning towards Seifer along with her sleeping bag.  
  
"You're annoying," he spat with a muffled voice through his blanket, covering his whole head.  
  
"At the manor," she started. "I can feel a presence."  
  
Seifer irritably took off his blanket. His eyes pointed sleepily at the roof while his lips started to mouth words.  
  
"Look if you want to start a darned ghost story, tell it to the campfire kids outside."  
  
"Nope I didn't say it was a ghost story," she said while getting herself up from her sleeping position. "I mean I don't believe in those crappy mumbo jumbo except Ouija."  
  
"Then?"  
  
"I have a theory," she started, looking at the roof absent-mindedly for awhile before she turned back to an irritated looking Seifer. "Maybe we're all going to be on TV."  
  
"What..." choked Seifer, who soon lifted half his body up in interest.  
  
"Isn't it cool that there are cameras taping our every move and airing it live on national TV? We're like characters in an ultra-real drama!" she said thoughtfully. Her face soon radiated in bright pink. "I hope the students back at Balamb won't see us together at that gondola."  
  
"Impossible," Seifer said, turning his whole body to face Selphie's. "How can a filthy race like this worthy to be broadcast? Besides, I don't see cameras around the places we've been to."  
  
"Well it'll be cool if it's real. You've seen how they taped Survivor by fixing micro-cameras around the place right?"  
  
Seifer rubbed his chin with his eyes looking up, pausing temporary to consider the possibility. Selphie soon snapped up to another point.  
  
"I thought of something. You know actors and actresses can get really famous if they act really well in a show. I have a feeling that we can have some publicity after the whole darn race is over."  
  
"So how are we going to do that?" Seifer asked keenly.  
  
"I don't know," Selphie said, looking at the ground mindlessly shaking her head. "Maybe we can have a nookie now?"  
  
Selphie moved her finger back at forth in front of Seifer's vision. Seifer, who was dressed in his T-shirt and shorts, crawled away from his blanket and sneaked naughtily towards her pale thin lips.  
  
"Careful, everybody is watching us now."  
  
***  
  
Raijin and Fujin felt refreshed as they walked up the steep steps of the manor after they had woke up at six in a morning. All they had for breakfast was a cup of warm weak coffee and nothing to eat, which would barely replenished all the energy that had been wasted. However, this time, a new alternative power was within them. A cowboy greeted, standing at the entrance of the manor waiting for their arrival, and the duo did not forget to reply in unison as usual.  
  
"READ," Fujin instructed, passing the contents of the envelope to Raijin.  
  
"Hey baby we're gonna fly to somewhere," he cheered energetically. Both of them immediately scaled down the stairs as Raijin continued. "Use the jeep that you have used in the last leg of the race and drive yourselves to Urban Desert Airport. Fly to Winhill and once you get there, find the Flower Restaurant and Bar and help yourselves to three glasses of Winhill's national drink to get the next clue."  
  
***  
  
"Mornin'" the cowboy said briefly as Squall and Rinoa climbed wearily to the top of the stairway. With her eyes half-open and blinking, Rinoa replied in a sleepy voice and grabbed the clue weakly from his hands.  
  
"Squall we're going to paint the streets of Winhill red!" she cheered loudly, which boosted her energy to look positively into the race. Rinoa ran down the stairway to meet Selphie, who was waiting with a cup of coffee in her hands, while Squall was lagging behind her, lifting his feet one by one in slow rhythm to descend. Selphie then gave Rinoa a warm hug wishing her good luck.  
  
"The Fast Forward's in the hyacinth potpourri at the perfume factory in Winhill," Rinoa whispered to her ears in return. She then turned around to see Squall already standing in front of her and signaled him to walk to the jeep.  
  
"See you at the airport, Selphie."  
  
"Okay," she said meekly, sipping the hot coffee which scalded her tongue.  
  
***  
  
"DIRECTION!" Fujin hissed as she stopped the jeep in front of a crossroad. Raijin scrolled through the map and then looked back at Fujin foolishly.  
  
"Hey there's a ranch nearby. Maybe we can ask for directions."  
  
Raijin opened the door and squeezed himself out of the jeep. He dashed across the street, dodging traffic, to get to a farmer who was tilling the soil as his daily errand. Raijin lifted his head until he could get a better look at the farm from the tall fence. After a few minutes, the red-skinned hunk climbed back to the passenger seat with the information the duo wanted.  
  
"Go straight, and you'll find an airport sign that you won't miss."  
  
"AFFIRMATIVE."  
  
Squall soon met up with a road sign, alerting him that the airport would be fifteen miles away. The fifteen-mile drive soon ended and the view of an air terminal - with the airstrip, hangars and the control tower in view - arose from the haziness around the desert. The SeeD leader turned the vehicle into the building. There was a Galbadian soldier clad in beige and brown desert uniform guarding the entrance of the parking lot and the soldier approached the jeep.  
  
"Mornin'" the soldier started, leaning onto the body of the jeep speaking to the driver. "I need your passport for ID verification."  
  
"What's going on?" Rinoa asked as her head peeped out of the window to gain the soldier's attention.  
  
"Oh sorry, Miss Caraway," he said apologetically and saluted at her in reverence. "There's been a jailbreak at the Desert Prison and we're tracking the prisoner."  
  
***  
  
Fujin and Raijin waited patiently for their 10.00 o'clock flight to Deling City Airport, and from there they would be connected on a flight to Winhill Airport. Soon, all the other teams arrived at the airport and purchased the same tickets, with the exception of Quistis and Xu, Selphie and Seifer and Zell and Irvine having connection tickets on a standby. Their hard-earned lead was entirely in smokes and the rest were happy to level with each other again.  
  
"Have you heard about a jailbreak that happened yesterday?" Zell said speaking to Xu and Rachel. Rachel was busy brushing her hair and twirling it into a braid.  
  
"I'm pretty surprised that a super-maximum security prison like that would have a jailbreak," Rachel commented, letting the braid tumble down back into her natural hairdo. "What do you think, Instructor Xu?"  
  
"Well," she started with her arms folded. A slight trail of perspiration appeared on her philter.   
  
"It has nothing to do with us so don't bother thinking about it," she stuttered, giving away a weak grin. "Hopefully he won't show up in the plane. Well we better not think about it too much or else we can't concentrate on the race."  
  
Xu nervously rubbed her palms together, which were starting to sweat. She took a deep breath and blew her breath into between her palms and rubbed again.  
  
"If you'd excuse me, I'm moving to a warmer place. Terrible air-conditioning."  
  
Xu slowly moved herself away from the group and dashed swiftly to where Quistis was sitting. A suspicious aura remained leaving Zell and Rachel wondering keeping the silence intact.  
  
"What's her problem?" Zell said casually, bending a knee outward with the feet clasped together while leaning by pressing one hand on a pillar.  
  
Quistis sat in middle of the front row of seats at the departure hall, with her legs crossed and her mind in full concentration as she read through the witty and scandalous anecdotes in a Galbadian tabloid. She sensed a presence of a person sitting next to her through its irregular and heavy breathing. She peeked through the papers to see Xu huffing and puffing with beads of perspiration dotting her forehead. Her face was ghostly pale and her cheeks were soft and puffy.  
  
"You don't look well Xu," Quistis said in concern as she placed the tabloid beside her.  
  
"I'm fine," said Xu, gulping down the whole bottle of water.  
  
"Let me take you somewhere to eat and buy you some pills," Quistis suggested, holding onto the back of her hand, which felt cold to the bone as she touched the skin. "Besides, we got an hour to spare, don't we."  
  
***  
  
The teams arrived at the small farming province of Winhill after a two-and-half-hour journey from Deling City Airport. Being on the front row, Fujin and Raijin stepped out of the plane first. The coolness and sweetness of the morning air around them was a far cry from the air in the Galbadia Desert. Fujin inhaled much of the wonderful fresh country air and felt more alive and game than before. Fujin and Raijin clasped their hands together and began to set out to the outside of the airport. Behind them were the other five teams, outrunning each other. The duo found a taxi waiting right in front of them at the exit and immediately grabbed it.  
  
"FLOWER RESTAURANT," Fujin screeched as she unbuckled the strap of her backpack. "EMERGENCY!"  
  
The taxi ride to town was a series of picturesque farmlands and vineyards. On the backdrop was a snowcapped mountain range, which divides Galbadia Continent into the chaotic and unruly Galbadian fascism and the peaceful and laid back Winhill country. After a brief period of time, the taxi arrived at the town, with the townscape dotted with parterres of sunflowers and bluebells and neat, newly painted buildings. Not to mention the quatrefoil flower mosaic on the cobblestones of the town square - a symbol significant to the culture and idyllic nature of the country. The taxi brought the duo to the northeastern part of the town square, where the next destination, the Flower Restaurant and Pub was located.  
  
Fujin and Raijin gingerly entered the vicinity, which was teeming with people enjoying a simple lunch.  
  
"DRINK," Fujin barked at the only bartender with her hands overlapping each other on the bar table.  
  
"Umm... we want to drink the national drink," Raijin explained. A blast of laughter and giggles by the customers followed. "What's so funny?"  
  
"WE'RE ON A RACE!" Fujin added.  
  
"OK racers," the young smartly dressed bartender grinned from ear to ear, wiping of the moisture in the small glass with a white face cloth. The young man snapped out an unlabeled bottle filled with clear fluid from a rack of assorted wines and alcohol. He opens the cap and an unlikely aroma arose from the liquid. Raijin's face started to turn purple and his cheeks inflated after smelling something foul.  
  
***  
  
"According to this guide," Daniel started reading a Winhill tour guidebook. "The national drink is called a Ciopanna Chaser."  
  
"Ciopina... whatever. Is it alcoholic?" Rachel asked. "You know I can't drink alcohol."  
  
"Unfortunately yes, but its mild say about 0.5% alcohol content... The main thing about this drink is it's made of the extract of various edible wild flowers and has this powerful stench that smells like a trash can," Daniel explained. "The best part is it's usually served with a dose of..."  
  
***  
  
Rinoa gulped down the second serving of the chaser forcefully into her throat. The liquid burned and released a bitter and rotten sensation on her tongue, causing her cheeks to inflate like a balloon.  
  
"God I hate this," Squall gulped down his second glass and tilted his head to pour the warm liquid into his throat. He closed and then opened his eyes to look at Rinoa, who was kneeling lowly with her hands covering her lips. "Honey are you alright?"  
  
Rinoa exhaled briefly and rose up to match height with Fujin. Tears formed around her eyelids. "This is sickening."  
  
After finishing the second round, the bartender applauded and smiled. "You've got one more chaser to go."  
  
Presently, Zell and Irvine entered the pub and the bartender laid out four glasses of Ciopanna to Squall, Rinoa, Fujin and Raijin.  
  
"But this time, as the real drinking tradition of Winhill, a dose of this will be added," the bartended shook a small elixir bottle and poured two to three drops of the clear viscous liquid into the glasses. A drop of the liquid landed on the bar table and immediately evaporated into white foamy steam.  
  
"What are you adding?" Rinoa asked fearfully with her arms folded on her neck.  
  
The bartender tabbed the small bottle on the table and turned it to reveal its label - 'CONC. SNAKE VENOM'.  
  
Rinoa held the tiny glass in her hands. Her arms were shaking like leaves as she stared at the glass nervously.  
  
"You can do it," Squall whispered, then spat in frustration, "Just drink it all down you bitch!"  
  
Finally, Rinoa braved herself and neared the edge of the glass to her lips. She quickly widened her mouth and chucked the infernal liquid, which spread like a wildfire in her throat. Rinoa gasped and a slight headache followed after digesting the drink wholly.  
  
"That sucks," she whined slamming the glass on the table while waving her hand diagonally. She snatched the clue from the table ungratefully.   
  
"CLUE," Fujin said ordering Raijin to read the contents in the envelope.  
  
"Bike yourselves to the Pennywort Perfume Farm and Factory at the Winhill Botanical Center," he read all at once.  
  
Without further ado, the duo got into their taxi and ordered it to the said location. Squall and Rinoa soon came out of the pub and grabbed two bikes, which were parked outside the building, and started cycling.  
  
***  
  
"FAST FORWARD - Head to Warehouse 4 at the Winhill Botanical Dome. Further instructions will be given when you reach there."  
  
"Well we're here," Selphie said thoughtfully, gazing at the white pineapple-shaped dome in the horizon from the taxi window. Around them were endless fields dedicated for growing various types of flowers to be produced into bouquets, perfumes and medicines - not to mention the insane Cioppana Chaser. This colourful area housing Winhill's number one export is known as the Winhill Botanical Center with the Winhill Botanical Dome as its headquarters and storage facility. After trudging through the fields, they have arrived at the foot of the dome and the largeness of the complex caught Selphie's curiosity. Soon, the taxi parked itself in front of the row of warehouses at the base of the dome.  
  
"We're here, we're here!" Selphie shouted lively as she skipped down the pathway to the fourth warehouse from their point of view. A signboard with instructions appeared prior to starting the Fast Forward puzzle, but this did not stop Selphie from taking a peek at it.  
  
"Oh Carbuncle..."  
  
***  
  
"Cheers."  
  
Daniel and Rachel knocked the edge of their glasses to drink their third serving of the chaser beforehand. Daniel licked his lips sickeningly after a single gulp. "Delicious."  
  
"At least I'm still here," Rachel joked back. While heading to the door, Rachel turned around and reached out her hand to take their clue eagerly.  
  
"Xu, you're not even drinking a glass," Quistis said after finishing her second dose of Cioppana Chaser.  
  
"I'm fine," Xu replied with her head hanging down to face the polished surface of the table. "I'm merely mentally-preparing myself."  
  
Xu stretched her hand and slid the glass to her chest weakly. She shot the liquid into her mouth and then reached out for the next glass without hesitation.  
  
"Xu, I don't think you should chuck it all down like that," Quistis advised. In reply Xu straightened her head and faced Quistis tardily with a ghastly stare. Dark circles formed around Xu's eyes and her skin was transparent and pale. Her hair was usually straight and combed neatly, but now it was in disorder and untidy and it added to that sense of tiredness in her.  
  
"Stop jabbering you bitch," Xu choked with a sick husky voice and gulped down the liquid. She immediately reached her hand for the final glass added with concentrated snake venom. Xu slid the glass towards her and stared at the silky protein clouds from the venom in her drink for a brief moment.  
  
"Don't!!" Quistis warned, shooting out her hand to knock the glass from her hand. However, the drink was already finished and the empty glass shattered into large shards. Quistis then stretched out her hands to grab onto Xu, who started losing consciousness after the drink.  
  
"Come on girl, you can snap out of it... Oh no... Please someone call a doctor!"  
  
***  
  
Squall arduously cycled through the cobblestone roads of Winhill and trying to get as close as the taxi in front of him, which housed Raijin and Fujin. Restfully, they played a few rounds of thumb wrestling - with Fujin winning twenty to none in her favour. Raijin got fed up and turned to the rear windscreen to see Squall breezing down the gentle slopes on a bicycle.  
  
"Is that Squall in a bike there?" he wondered, which caught Fujin's attention and she immediately looked out from her side window. The black hair jutting out of the rider's crash helmet and the apparel he was wearing were obviously Squall's.  
  
"WHAT!?" Fujin felt enraged and confused. She snatched the clue from Raijin's pocket and reread it.  
  
"IMBECILE!" she hissed, smacking her partner on the head with a think brochure.  
  
"But it's too late to turn back now," Raijin reasoned. "If we can keep this a secret we won't be penalized. Besides Cid won't be around to inspect us right?"  
  
Fujin considered for a while. She turned back again to see Squall and the others nearing their taxi.  
  
"FASTER!!" she screeched, bribing the driver with another ten gil. The driver then switched gears to fourth and pressed the accelerator harder to give the car a boost. Soon, Squall was only a small dot struggling to keep pace, with the white dome representing the Winhill Botanical Center enlarging in the horizon.  
  
Along the way, Fujin spotted two men walking with their mountain bikes at the roadside. She halted the taxi and alighted.  
  
"Why are you stopping?" Raijin asked with his head peeping out the window to see Fujin opening the trunk.  
  
"COME!" Fujin shouted. She then approached Raijin, holding both backpacks and pulled Raijin out of the taxi by his hair and paid the driver.  
  
"Are you crazy?" Raijin exclaimed waving his arms to the taxi driving away from them. Fujin threw the backpacks to Raijin and walked casually to the two male bikers.  
  
"STOP!" she greeted by partly raising her left arm. "BORROW BIKES!"  
  
"Wow that's a new joke I never heard before," both men broke out into hysterical laughter.  
  
"Huh?" Fujin jabbed one of the bikers in the stomach and the man blacked out. Then, she swiftly grappled the other biker and knocked him on the head with his own helmet until he was down cold. Fujin soon returned to Raijin with two bikes.  
  
"ALIGHT!" she mounted her bike and pointed to the white dome far away. "PEDAL!! FASTER!!"  
  
***  
  
"No not in here," Selphie's voice quavered as she removed her hand from a barrel of watery and rotten residue of hyacinth perfume. She then dipped her hand into the next barrel and her hand swam around the murky, goopy and unbearably noisome residue, hopefully fishing out the clue. "Seifer, any lucky there?"  
  
A white-gloved hand popped out from afar among the thousands of waste barrels, which pointed its thumb downwards. Selphie hung her head downward in disappointment. She pulled her sleeve towards the shoulder and dipped her arm wholly into another waste barrel.  
  
***  
  
"ARRIVED," Fujin cruised towards one of the many flower fields on the north side of the dome, where a clue box can be spotted among the rows of orchids. She slammed her bike on the marked farm gate and jogged to the box which was an inch away.  
  
"RAIJIN!!" Fujin's voice stormed as she looked out from the farm gate to see Raijin pedaling sluggishly. The red envelope in one hand quivered furiously.  
  
"I'm here honey," he said nonchalantly while piling his bike on top of Fujin's, and just the right time to receive another punishing smack on the head. Raijin retrieved the envelope from his head and tore it open to reveal its contents.  
  
"DETOUR:  
  
STOMP  
  
Take yourselves to the Red Rose Nursery. Once there, extract 100 c.c. of rose oil by using the traditional method of crushing rose petals with your feet!  
  
STAMP  
  
Take one bouquet next to the clue box and send it to this ambiguous address.   
  
[BLITZKRIEG! - IN THE NAME OF THY FATHER - I LIKE CHURROS - WINHILL TOWN]  
  
Use your bikes to deliver it as fast as you can."  
  
"DELIVER," Fujin picked up the giant rose and lily bouquet and carried it in her arms affectionately. The sweet refreshing scent of the flowers was rejuvenating. "SHIT."  
  
"We got to figure out how to carry it on our bike, ya know," Raijin complained, walking in circle mindlessly.  
  
"IDEA," Fujin pointed her finger upward with her eye shining brightly. She forced Raijin to sit on the bike and stuck the bouquet between his back and his backpack.  
  
"Hey I'm not some human bouquet ya know," Raijin complained and shook his head, and to receive his third smack on the scalp for the day.  
  
"MUSH!"  
  
"I see our next destination!" Rinoa cried, pointing to the farm's logo, which was an image of certain flower, on a signboard erected among the rows of flowers. In front of her was Squall, cruising on his bike swiftly without turning around to give her a friendly wave of hand. Suddenly he turned into a junction, and Rinoa had to brake with her feet on the ground to make a U-turn and entered the junction. Fujin and Raijin were also seen coming out of the junction.  
  
"Funny, where did Fujin and Raijin get their bikes from?" Rinoa turned around to look on and wondered.  
  
"Their bikes have baskets, ya know," Raijin exclaimed, facing the humiliation and embarrassment aroused by motorists and passers-by laughing hysterically at the 'human bouquet'.  
  
"Hey your skin matches the colour of your roses!" teased a male truck driver.  
  
"I thought Winhill bumpkins are supposed to be friendly!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Squall why did you rush into the junction like that?" Rinoa asked, approaching Squall who was leaning on the farm gate casually. "C'mon, no slacking..."  
  
Rinoa stretched her arm to reach for the flap of the clue box.   
  
"Detour," she said excitedly after pulling out two leaflets from the envelope. "Stomp or Stamp."  
  
***  
  
The doctor drew out a bottle of tablets from his medicine kit. He instructed Quistis to open Xu's mouth and the doctor mixed the soluble tablet into a small glass of water. He poured the mixture into the patient's mouth and within seconds, her eyelashes started to motion.  
  
"Ohhh," Xu groaned as she struggled to lift her upper body after regaining consciousness. She shook her head to ease herself while covering her forehead with her hand. "What happened?"  
  
"Oh, thank goodness!" Quistis said sighing in relief as she helped Xu to her feet. Xu felt a slight dizziness but it was gone after inhaling some fresh air outside the pub. Xu's eyes widened suddenly as she realised something.   
  
"Oh no! The race!"  
  
"Everything's fine now," Quistis assured rubbing her shoulders while taking her to sit on the bench. "Rest for a while. Here take the clue. I'll be back in a short while.  
  
Quistis retraced her steps back into the restaurant. On the pub table sat the doctor talking to the bartender.  
  
"Umm..." Quistis began. "Thanks for saving my friend's life. You have been very resourceful."  
  
"Oh it's nothing," the middle-aged, male doctor replied. He then turned to his medicine bag and took out a packet of pills. "Take this for free. It's for your friend's stomach ulcer. It won't cure it but it can ease the pain."  
  
"Thanks, doctor," Quistis said shyly as she retrieved the Ziploc bag containing orange pills.   
  
"Is your friend outside?" the doctor asked holding his black bag with both hands. "I'll check on her for a while before you two depart."  
  
"Wait!" Quistis called to the doctor as he was about to reach the door. "May I know your name?"  
  
The doctor dipped the tip of his dark brown hat to one eye and smiled affably. "You can call me Dr. Massachusetts, if you want."  
  
***  
  
"I can feel something," Selphie muttered in uncertainty. She then pulled out her arm, which was coated with dark nauseous goo. "No, not here. Seifer got anything."  
  
Seifer pulled his arm from the barrel in frustration. Goo started to drip from his glove as he glared at Selphie. "Just stop disturbing me you yakking bimbo girl. Are you listening to me!?"  
  
Uninterrupted, Selphie continued on to inspect the next barrel. Her eyebrows started to arch upwards and her lips slowly curved into a smile. "I found something!" Selphie excited pulled out her arm from the waste barrel to reveal a laminated envelope covered in residue. She then stretched out both arms outwards and walked towards her partner happily. Seifer avoided the goo on her arms from staining his white T-shirt.  
  
"Get off me!" Seifer spat in disgust. The words began to scratch Selphie's heart but she just smiled as if nothing hurt her.   
  
"Okay we'll wash up."  
  
"Oh thank goodness I'm out of the dump," Selphie muttered behind the towel covering her whole face. Seifer removed the plastic wrapping around the envelope and ripped it open for the contents. Selphie held onto Seifer's muscular arm as the two read the clue together.  
  
"Congratulations, you have found the Fast Forward. Go directly to the pit stop; White River Lodge near the base of Bluff Falls."  
  
***  
  
"Excuse me, sweet old ladies," Raijin asked sheepishly to two elderly ladies walking their dogs as he walked with his bike. He took out a wrinkled piece of parchment which was written with the address puzzle. "Do you know what this address mean?"  
  
The two ladies peered at the paper and thought with their heads in the air for a moment. After that, the woman on the right gaped suddenly and pointed her finger to the air and then turned and whispered to the other lady with one hand across to her shoulder.  
  
"Please hurry. We're on a race. I just wanna know what CHURROS mean," Raijin pleaded with tears welling in his eyes like a devastated child.  
  
"I think Churros is famous at err... Winhill Seafront?" the lady replied in a drawling slang, which was affirmed by the other lady with a nod.  
  
"Okay thanks!" Raijin said briefly, hopped on his bike and pedaled away happily.  
  
"Youngsters these days," the two ladies said shaking their heads.  
  
"Honey..." Raijin cried excitedly as he spotted Fujin biking towards him. The two halted after they met at the middle of the road. "It's at Winhill Seafront."  
  
"WHERE?" Fujin asked firmly crossing her arms.  
  
"Uh," Raijin scratched his head with his eyes staring at the clouds. "I forgot ta ask, ya know."  
  
"FOOL!" the austere woman reached out her leg from the pedal and stomped on Raijin's foot. "NO WORRIES. I KNOW WHERE."  
  
Fujin slapped Raijin's back hardly like cracking a whip on a bull. A few petals from the dying bouquet fell lifelessly on the road. "NOW GO!"  
  
***  
  
"Wow this is fun," Rinoa commented lifting one foot and then the other alternately, crushing the slimy rose petals beneath her feet. "Okay I think I'm done. Help me honey."  
  
Squall grabbed onto Rinoa's arm and shoulder and supported her as she stepped down from the platform slowly. A farmer took away the flat steel dish which contained the crushed rose petals from the platform and carefully transferred the oil into a bottle via a small spout sticking out from the dish.  
  
"No way, that's all?" Squall gasped in disbelief as the transparent golden and unprocessed oil only filled only one third of the bottle.  
  
"It's your turn honey," Rinoa said, pushing Squall to sit on the bench.  
  
"I don't enjoy stepping on squishy stuff," he complained.  
  
"Nah, don't worry," Rinoa assured as she forcefully removed Squall's moccasins, then his grey socks. "Ew... your feet stinks."  
  
"I think I'm going to make the stinkiest perfume in the world," Squall joked sarcastically, which caused Rinoa to giggle hysterically.  
  
Squall began to place both feet on the metal dish filled with freshly cut rose petals. The petals felt like a warm bedding of soft fabric with the tingly sensation of the thorns here and there as he crushed them by rapidly lifting one foot and then the other alternately as if he was walking. After a while, oil oozed out of the juicy petals and had a slimy and crude texture to it, which caused the stoic SeeD leader to feel uneasy.  
  
"Are you going to use these for your perfume?" Squall asked jokingly.  
  
"Don't worry sonny," the farmer said in his traditional Winhill slang. "Once the oil's refined all the bad smell will be gone."  
  
"Oh it's that how you get the perfume from the oil?" Rinoa added.  
  
"Whatever..." Squall motioned his lips to himself weakly as he paused his footing for the moment.  
  
Squall's sat on the bench with his legs above the ground. His feet felt sore and tired with bits of petals and oil sticking onto the base of his feet. Rinoa and Squall studied the tiny bottle as the farmer cautiously filled it with the invaluable oil from the metal dish. The couple wailed in agony as the height of the oil was just below the red line marked on the bottle. Then an idea struck Rinoa. She took the bottle and placed it below Squall's feet. She scraped the leftover oil from Squall's feet with her hands into the bottle. Squall laughed a little as Rinoa's nails tickled his feet.  
  
"There," Rinoa presented the fully filled bottle to the farmer with her sticky hands. "Can it be counted?"  
  
"I'd be damned," the farmer took the bottle from Rinoa and placed it firmly on the dirt. He then dug his hand into his pocket for the envelope. Rinoa clapped her hands lightly and held onto the corner of the red envelope while shaking her other hand to rid the oil, then dropped it on Squall's lap.  
  
"Leave your bikes and get to the route marker at the top of the tallest waterfall in the world," Squall read aloud. Eventually, Squall and Rinoa began giving each other a hug of joy.  
  
***  
  
The image of the azure waters of the sea separating Galbadia and Centra continent arose as Fujin and Raijin rode into the seaside area of town. Rocky beaches with violent waves crashing powerfully and noisily on the jagged rocks hugged the row of white buildings, which would display their golden complexion when the sun was going to sink into the ocean. An aromatic and greasy smell allured Raijin's senses, which came from the number of roadside stalls frying a batch of fresh Churros.   
  
"I haven't had my lunch yet, ya know," Raijin complained as his stomach rumbled, which was angrily replied by a firm 'NO' answer. Fujin then spotted the 'Willingham Street' sign from afar and guided Raijin into the street.  
  
"1019 WHERE?" Fujin yelled. The passerby pointed to the uphill section of the street. Fujin and Raijin vigorously pedaled up the steep road and then turned their bikes into the building with a large red signboard written 1019, which was unexpectedly a bouquet shop.  
  
"BOUQUET, HERE!" Fujin plucked the bouquet from Raijin's back and dropped it recklessly on the cashier counter. The young female proprietor bowed in gratitude and then presented them a red envelope from the cash register.  
  
"Now why don't we have a snack, like Churros, ya know," Raijin said in a happy dance, which turned into leaps of excruciation after receiving a painful kick on the heel.  
  
"IMBECILE!" Fujin yelled and then turned to read the clue. "RUN!"  
  
***  
  
"Anyone knows where Blitzkrieg is?" Zell shouted as he pedaled around the Town Square, shooing away a few pigeons that were feeding on leftover breadcrumbs. "Anyone knows where Blitzkrieg is?"  
  
"Hey lil' ladies," Irvine greeted as he dismounted from his bike like Prince Charming alighting from his horse. He then unfolded the clue and showed it to the two girls. "Can you help me on this?"  
  
The two girls spoke to each other softly and then turned to Irvine, who dipped his hat down one eye to make himself presentable.   
  
"The Father of Winhill is Walter Willingham and umm... you can get Churros at the seafront," the girl smiled as she paused before continuing. "But we have no idea what Blitzkrieg mean."  
  
"Can it be a number or a name of a shop?" Irvine asked as he examined the town map.  
  
"Oh yeah, it's the nickname of the Harvest Festival!" the girl cheered like a fresh idea struck her brain like thunder. "The date is October 19th."  
  
"Well thanks girls," Irvine said shaking their hands. "You two have the most beautiful smile in the whole town... I mean the whole world. He he..."  
  
"Anyone knows who the Father is?" Zell hollered at the edge of the square. Afar from Zell was a blue taxi speeding recklessly on the narrow road.  
  
"FASTER!" Fujin ordered adding another 10 gil to the fare. The driver switched gears and pressed the accelerator. Not far from the taxi was an unwary biker with spiky hair, cycling along the roadside yelling around like a madman.  
  
"Knock him down!" Raijin cheered, and then turned to face Fujin and snickered together in glee.  
  
"What the fuck!" Zell turned his head to the front and spotted the mad taxi driver nearing him. He managed to lean his bike on the wall as the taxi headed to the town exit. He could see a two heads, one with silver hair and the other dark from behind the taxi. The silver-haired person gripped onto its hair angrily.   
  
"Fujin and Raijin? I wonder if I follow them, I could foil they're crummy plans, and to unmask Seifer's true colours! And prove to Irvine that I'm not a sore loser!" Zell thought dreamily and immediately he picked up more speed by turning the pedals faster, trying to get as close as possible with the taxi yards away.  
  
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Fujin hissed as she saw Zell tailing their taxi. Angrily, she turned to the driver with her hand pointing to the dashboard. "FASTER!"  
  
"Our competitor is behind us ya know," Raijin explained.  
  
"Tch, ya thought you guys can outrun the almighty Zell? I'll show you that even a horse can outrun a train!" Zell hastened his footwork and sparks started to fly from the chains on Zell's bike, boosting more speed. He could see the clear complexion of a pale skinned woman with an eye patch looking at him uneasily.  
  
"TURN!" Fujin yelped suddenly after sinking her head in her arms for a while. Immediately, the taxi slowed down and burned rubber to make a sharp turn into the barley field, while Zell continued pedaling and went on straight instead.  
  
"Huh? Where's the taxi?" Zell wondered. Suddenly, a foul stench drew nearer and nearer towards him. Zell yelled helplessly as he was unable to slow down since the brakes were not working, causing him to stumble into the pile of dried cow manure carried by a truck, which stopped suddenly in the middle of the road.  
  
***  
  
Towering cliffs can be seen jutting out of the fertile soil of the Winhill Bluffs. From the distance, a white foamy spectacle could be spotted, penciling down from the top of a precariously tall cliff. It was the magnificent sight of the tallest waterfall in the world - Bluff Falls. However, Seifer and Selphie were not gazing at the splendor of what was regard one of the natural wonders of the world. Winning the one and only Fast Forward pass of the leg meant that the couple had the privilege of reaching the pit stop without further tasks. And that was where they were heading - a wooden cabin situated beside the White River. Nesting in front of the lodge and beside the raging rapids were their coordinator, Cid Kramer and a farmer. Seifer and Selphie immediately alighted from their vehicle to meet their old and sapient principal.   
  
"How are ya Headmaster Cid," Selphie cheered while wrapping her arm around Seifer. Without hesitation, the host started the verdict.  
  
"Selphie and Seifer... you're the first team to arrive!"  
  
Overjoyed, the couple jumped happily together and approached each other for a brief kiss, making a smile on Cid and the farmer's face.  
  
"How does it feel to come this far?" Cid asked, which was casually replied with only one word that defined it all.  
  
"Awesome."  
  
Lagging a few minutes behind Seifer and Selphie were Squall and Rinoa. This time the taxi parked in front of a wooden building situated at the foot of the mountain where the waterfall was located.  
  
"Ya have to pay to climb up there," the taxi driver said after receiving his pay.  
  
Squall and Rinoa held hands to reach the front desk of the falls' entrance. Behind it was a set of stairs going straight up and disappeared into the clouds. The couple began walking meticulously up the steep steps. Struggle began when the air thinned as they got higher and higher.  
  
"This sucks," Rinoa panted bending down to her knees on a small flat rocky clearing atop a cliff surrounded by cold white mist. Before her was the final set of stairs, which leads them to a cave. Squall followed to rest by squatting next to a pine tree. After a brief moment, the couple rose to continue their climb towards the cave, marked by a blue and yellow flag at the entrance. Inside the dimly lit cave was a river. As they followed the course of the river, the river grew into unrest and then panic. Light started to prick from afar as they walked nearer to the exit. At the exit, they knew what the river feared of - a thousand feet plunge down the cliff to form the tallest waterfall.   
  
"Roadblock," Rinoa announced the clue in one of the envelopes in the clue box. "Who likes a quick dip."  
  
After taking a quick peek at the waterfall from above, Squall raised his hand and Rinoa immediately peeled off the leaflet.   
  
"Ha ha. You'll have to be dangled on a rope Squally," Rinoa jeered playfully.  
  
Squall fitted a blue crash helmet on his head while the operators tied a cable around him. He took another look at the waterfall, where he could only see a white mist forming at the base.   
  
"I must be crazy," Squall cursed after he found himself standing backwards at the edge of a rock that looked like a springboard jutting out of the face of the cliff, while gripping on the cable tied in front of him. He then jumped backwards and allowed himself to be lowered gracefully down the cliff as he dangled at the edge of the cable. He could see the mist clearing as he descended nearer towards the base to reveal a rapid with sharp rocks. Squall splashed gently into a pool formed by the waterfall. He felt cold and frigid as the water soaked into his shoes and jeans. Squall unbuckled the cable around him and scrambled towards the bank.  
  
"Where's the clue?" Squall thought.  
  
"Squall!" Squall could barely hear Rinoa's voice as the noise of the waterfall dampened her hollering. He turned with water splashing onto his back and hair to see Rinoa running along the bank with her hand shaped like a megaphone. "The clue is on the rocks!"  
  
Squall quickly turned around to find a laminated red envelope on a rock beating to the rapids. Squall fought the current towards the rock and reached out his arm to grab the clue. Squall then headed back to the bank and climbed up into Rinoa's arms.  
  
"It is going to be the end of the fifth leg and give yourself a pat on the back for reaching this far," Rinoa read the clue jubilantly to Squall, who was sitting on the grass wringing his socks dry. "Before you depart from Galbadia Continent, stop by at the final pit stop. Follow the marked path ahead of you and walk yourselves to the White Water Lodge.  
  
Squall rose to his feet and slung his backpack, while holding his wet shoes and socks in one hand. The couple soon arrived at an old building made of oak with a rustic river setting. On that setting was Cid Kramer who had already predicted their arrival. Squall stepped on the world map mat on his bare feet with bits of grass and mud, followed by Rinoa to secure their position.  
  
"Squall and Rinoa," Cid began as the couple paid their fullest attention to the verdict. "You're the second team to arrive."  
  
"Give me a big hug Squally!" Rinoa cooed spreading out her arms to wound around her boyfriend. "Oof, we forgot to bring our bags along."  
  
"Don't worry, we'll retrieve your bags from the front desk," Cid assured, patting on Squall's shoulder. "Now you may go in and rest up for a long day tomorrow."  
  
***  
  
"There you are Zell," Irvine said casually in his cowboy slang as he walked towards Zell. "I've been looking for you for ages, man."  
  
"Guess what," Zell replied. "I followed Fujin and Raijin's taxi, and guess where they go?"  
  
Irvine and Zell started staring at each other in silence. Irvine then repositioned his hat. "So what happened next?"  
  
"The taxi suddenly disappeared into thin air and I lost their track. But at least I knew they're up to no good."  
  
"So what's their plan?"  
  
"Beats me," Zell answered half-heartedly.  
  
"Man you wasted a good deal of time just chasing Mrs. Long John Silver without avail?" Irvine cried with fidgeting to express his dissatisfaction. Then he lifted his hand to his nose and waved it back and forth. "And dude you smell like a landfill."  
  
"God, how on earth he knew about it? At least I did something better than womanising around town," Zell thought. "So you know where is our next destination."  
  
"Yup, thanks to two hot chicks. And I forgot to thank you for you to show up this late so I can spend my time with the chicks. Ya know Winhill lasses ain't that bad after all!"  
  
"Just as I thought," Zell muttered and grinned to himself.  
  
***  
  
"It's the moment of truth!" Quistis exclaimed jokingly. The two girls held each other's hand as they watched the bottle slowly filling up with fresh rose oil. The female instructors broke into an uproar as they finally completed their task.  
  
"Get yourselves to the top of the world's tallest waterfall," Xu read in exhilaration as the both of them dashed to exit the nursery.  
  
"Now where to get a cab?" Quistis questioned to herself with her hands on her waist as she arrived at the dome.  
  
"TAXI!!" Xu yelled as she scrambled around the front of the dome. She finally stopped and bent down with her hands on her knees gasping for breath.  
  
"Excuse me," Quistis said running to a woman who dressed like a scientist heading towards a door with an 'Authorized Personnel' sign. "Can you help us to get a cab?"  
  
"Why no problem," the woman took out her hand-phone and began speaking to the taxi headquarters. Within twenty minutes, a blue taxi arrived at the front entrance of the dome, where Quistis was walking in a circular pattern drinking her coke with a lot of things in her mind, while Xu slumped on the bench reading a work of her favourite author.  
  
"To the waterfalls!" Quistis cheered.  
  
***  
  
Rachel screamed as loud as the waterfall as she dangled at the end of the cable, which descends her to the base of the waterfall. She reached out her hand and dipped it into the waterfall. The water felt cold and she could feel the tremendous and exhilarating power generated from it. At last, she could see Daniel waving at her at the riverbank as the mist thinned out. The girl splashed into the frigid water followed by an uproar. She stood up to find the water reaching her hips, and followed the current to a nearby rock where a red envelope was pinned.  
  
Rachel and Daniel stepped onto the mat in front of Cid Kramer. Rachel shivered a little as her red tank top and black shorts were dripping wet.  
  
"Daniel and Rachel you're team number four!" Cid announced. Daniel and Rachel immediately exchanged hugs and gave themselves a high-five.  
  
***  
  
"How long are we going to reach the top?" Irvine complained, plopping himself at the middle of the stairway panting hardly for breath.   
  
"Beats me," Zell answered. "I'm gonna leave ya. Bye."  
  
Irvine quickly stood up to his feet as Zell disappeared into the thick mist above the stairs. The two boys found themselves in front of a cave with the blue and yellow flag marked on it. The twosome followed an arrow pointing to the direction of the river, and eventually led them to a spectacular sight they had never witnessed before.  
  
"YOU ALL SUCK!" Zell hollered out loud, wishing for an echo to return. "SEIFER IS AN ASSHOLE!"  
  
"Oh quit the profanity," Irvine said waving the Roadblock clue to him from inside the cave. "Why don't you do something useful like jumping down the cliff?"  
  
"No way," Zell cried. He gagged as he looked down at the foamy base of the waterfall, which was like water running from the tap and splashing into a pool of water, causing a bubbly effect in his bathtub.  
  
"Would you like to be called a chicken-wuss for the rest of your life?" Irvine grinned from ear to ear as Zell's face began to distort. Irvine expected Zell to squinch his eyebrows upward, but instead he grinned back more meekly.  
  
"I'll hunt you down for the rest of your life!" Irvine yelled to Zell who was pouting at him from above as he dangled at the end of the cable. Presently, two women emerged out of the cave and fiddled with the clue box.  
  
"Thank goodness there are two cables!" Xu said jostling to the operators handling the second cable.  
  
"Well, well," Quistis chuckled as she approached Zell running towards her. "How are you doing Zell?"  
  
"There's no time instructor Trepe," Zell said briefly and continued running.  
  
"Wait for me!" Quistis shouted back. She turned around to give her partner a thumb up and followed Zell's footsteps.  
  
Irvine finally landed at the base of the waterfall with a splash. The sound generated from the puissance of the water crashing down deafened his senses.  
  
"Zell where are ya?" Irvine said in his mind as he paddled around the pool with his sight blinded by the sprinkles of water leaping out of the pool in abundance.  
  
"Irvine!" Zell yelled at the man wearing a cowboy hat paddling behind the waterfall aimlessly. "Over here!"  
  
Xu was soon found splashing gently into the river. She then followed the direction of the water, grabbing onto some vines to prevent from being washed away by the powerful current.  
  
"Xu, here!" Quistis screamed as loud as she could at her.  
  
"Where?" Xu replied. Presently, Irvine emerged from the thick mist and held onto the vines at the bank, shivering and gasping for breath.  
  
"Over here! Over here!" Zell wailed jumping up and down with his finger pointing to a rock near him. Irvine then traversed to the rock while grabbing onto the vines. He reached out his hand to snatch the wet clue from the rock. Irvine smiled to himself and dipped the envelope into the water. Ironically, he could feel the slippery plastic in his hand dying away as the envelope slipped out of his grip. Zell looked helpless at their clue being washed away by the current and disappeared into a small vortex in an instant.  
  
"Irvine you klutz!" Zell fumed, wanting to pull his rock solid hair from the roots to release his tantrum.   
  
Irvine, for the first time, felt devastated as he lost in the battlefield. He could not help but to knock his forehead on the rock a few times. Suddenly, a glimmer of hope shone as he spotted another rock with an untouched envelope at the middle of the pond. Irvine dived into the water heroically and paddled to the rock while fighting the current. Xu wound her arms around a large rock and snapped off the envelope pinned on it. Now another problem arose - how was she going to get to the other side of the river where Quistis was without getting washed away. Xu paddled to a nearby rock and grabbed on it. Then she reached out for the adjacent rock and hugged it immediately. Then she traversed to another rock and then held on a sturdy branch jutting out of the bank. Quistis immediately pulled Xu up to dry land and gleefully snatched the clue from her as she rolled on the grass in relief.  
  
Irvine finally grabbed their second ticket and waved it at Zell, who did not seem to be happy as Quistis and Xu were on their way to the pit stop. With all his might, Irvine paddled to the bank and climbed up to meet Zell. Without hesitation, Irvine convinced Zell and the two were well on their way to turn the tables.  
  
The river grew restless as tension started to build between the last two teams, trying to oust each other to secure their place in the race. The forest was thick with bushes and pine trees, making it hard to see the road ahead. Despite having to lose their direction a few times, Quistis and Xu broke out from the forest where the lodge can be seen. The two girls dashed madly towards the mat of the world map and braked in front of Cid with their arms around their shoulders. Tears can be seen formed around Quistis' eyes while Xu was shivering as her clothes were wet and covered with grass and pine needles. Anxiety evolved from the tension as the female instructors await their verdict.  
  
"Quistis and Xu," Cid's eyes started to flare up. "You're team number five!"  
  
Cid smiled at his two favourite teachers as the both of the hugged and patted each other's back. He then shook hands with the two women and congratulated them for a job well done.  
  
Irvine and Zell surfaced from the woods just after Quistis and Xu were ushered into the lodge. Cid shook his head lightly as he saw Zell pushing Irvine to the edge of the riverbank irately, probably putting the blame on Irvine since he was certain about losing the race. Irvine and Zell stepped in front of Cid with their heads spiritlessly hanging downwards.   
  
"Irvine and Zell," Cid announced. "I know this is unbearable but you've finished last in this leg of the race, and we'll have to send you two home."  
  
Cid let out a sigh as a dark cloud started to rain above the two, figuring a few words to liven up their spirits before he leaves the two alone. "Remember there are no losers in this race. You two should praise yourselves for coming this far."  
  
Zell lifted his head with beads of tears on his cheek. The two guys reached out their arms and embraced each other emotionally.  
  
"It's my fault!" Zell cried, bursting into tears. "If I wasn't a bossy son-of-a-bitch..."  
  
"No Zell, put the blame on me," Irvine insisted poking his cheek with his finger. "Give me a nice smack on the face and you'll feel better. Cut the cryin' already!"  
  
In a flash, a swift blow hit Irvine on the cheek he just marked. Stars started to dance around his eyes and his vision slowly faded as he fell on the grass with a soft thud. Zell did not imagine hitting his partner would make him feel a little spirited but it did as usual. He heard a person applauding behind him and he turned around to see Seifer, Fujin and Raijin sneering at him from the balcony.  
  
"What a show," Seifer said movingly while he lightly clapped his hands. "And I suppose its time to pack your bags, is it not chicken-wuss?"  
  
"Uh, Seifer?" Raijin asked tapping onto Seifer's shoulder. "Will the others hear about this?"  
  
"Don't worry Raijin," Seifer said in an assuring tone while patting on his firm shoulders. "I asked Selphie to do the dirty work for me."  
  
"Cool I wonder what it is," he wondered.  
  
"Seifer I knew you're up to no good," Zell said in a challenging voice pointing his finger at Seifer's chest. "All that camaraderie stuff are all crap and I can say it was poor acting you guys."  
  
"RAGE!" Fujin flared, wanting to jump down the porch and clobber Zell, but was halted by Seifer.  
  
"Whatever you say chicken-wuss," Seifer replied as he curved his lips into its most sinister and undesirable form. Then he turned around with his arms wrapping around Fujin and Raijin. "Oh by the way, thanks for the comment. I look forward to polish my acting. Bon voyage!"  
  
"Hey come back!" Zell cried as Seifer disappeared into the cabin. He then squatted down and sat on Irvine's body with his fists touching his chin and his elbows on his lap. "Why does Seifer want the money so badly?"  
  
***  
  
Squall, Rinoa, Quistis and Xu huddled together on a four seated lounge sofa beside the electric heater, while listening to Selphie singing to a jazzy oldie.  
  
"Cuz you don't deserve... ME!" Selphie ended her song with in a short, high pitch. The four applauded as Selphie turned around to bow with the microphone in one hand. A soft clapping was soon heard somewhere.  
  
"That was sensational," Seifer commented as he revealed himself from a dark corner. Selphie dropped the microphone on the carpet and excitedly wound her arms around her partner.  
  
"Now we'll see whether I'm the man who deserves to be with you!" Seifer murmured to himself as the both of them made their first public kiss. 


	7. Cruise Control

Cruise Control  
  
--------------  
  
The woodlands around the White Water area was turned into an eerie, lightless and secretive canopy as darkness loomed when nightfall. There was a popular saying among the woodland people, "Never make a pact with the dark in the land of the ancients." But this was not so as two people ventured into the unknown for a clandestine meeting.  
  
"Owls," Quistis murmured sardonically as a pair of glowing eyes was staring coldly at the two trespassers. "They're as noisy as Rinoa."  
  
"What did you say?" Squall asked as he walked on and arrived at a small clearing with a dead tree stump glowing in warm blue under the bright cresent moon. Squall first slouched on the stump. As Quistis followed to sit beside him he bent down in deep thought until his head was below his arms.  
  
"It's wonderful being here under the moonlight," Quistis commented, trying to break the ice. "I'm glad that Rinoa doesn't mind with her fiance with his instructor together in privacy."  
  
"This is way too private," Squall thought. He then rose up and started muttering without looking at Quistis in the eye. "So what do you want to talk about instructor?"  
  
"You're straightforward as ever!" Quistis giggled. She began leaning towards Squall. "I see that you're troubled this evening. Can I share a little of your predicament?"  
  
"None of your business," Squall muttered tartly while he pushed Quistis away crudely from touching his shoulder. Quistis rubbed her arm to ease the pain, feeling offended.  
  
"I'm sorry," Squall apologised after regaining his senses. "It's just that I didn't like to be touched by another person."  
  
"Oh is that because your body only belongs to Rinoa?" Quistis replied solidly.  
  
"That's not what I meant, it's just a natural..."  
  
"Don't you have any feelings for other people, like your teacher for instance?" Quistis cried behind her two hands covering her face in aggravation.  
  
"Oh what the heck," Quistis laid down her hands on her lap and looked into Squall's soft brown eyes, which were still beautiful despite the vengeful demeanor behind it. "I was overreacting."  
  
"It's just that I'm wondering a lot about Seifer," Squall confessed. "He seemed too nice since day two. Is there a possibility that people can change in a short period of time?"  
  
"Seifer did have been manipulated by Sorceress Adel and Ultimecia. I suppose it hid Seifer's good side moreover," Quistis theorised. "Second possibility is probably because of his feelings towards Selphie."  
  
"I don't think Seifer would enjoy hanging around with a super-innocent and sexually-inexperienced girl like Selphie," Squall explained.   
  
"But I know Seifer acted like a good guy to Rinoa since she was a sophisticated and seductive bitch. Too bad their relationship did not work out," he snickered.  
  
"I know. Do you think that he's up to something only to win?" Quistis asked.  
  
"Question is, why does he want to win so badly?" He added.  
  
"It's late," Quistis said checking the time on her fake Rolex wristwatch. "The movie is going to end in thirty-minutes and I'm surprised that Rinoa likes super-secret agents in tuxedoes."  
  
"Told you she's a sophisticatedly seductive bitch," Squall told himself. And to mark the end of their secret meeting Quistis gave Squall a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Wait!" Squall stood up to stop Quistis from leaving first. He approached Quistis with small strides and then wrapped his arms around Quistis' waist.   
  
***  
  
"Wha? Morning already?" Raijin stretched his arms with a loud yawn to greet the morning sun behind the curtains. He then turned to find Fujin's head sunk into the pillow and tapped her back a few times.  
  
"RAGE..." Fujin then rose up to smile at Raijin and knocked him with a bolster until he tumbled down to the hard wooden floor. Raijin's head popped up from his side of the mattress and rubbed the bump on his head gently.  
  
"Aw... what's the matter honey?" Raijin said sheepishly. "I didn't know you're sleeping on the bad side of the bed, ya know."  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin hissed giving a knock on the head with her firm knuckles. "I couldn't get even one minute of sleep because of you snoring!"  
  
Fujin folded her arms and looked out the window to see a golden lining above the mountains. "WHAT TIME NOW?"  
  
"Err... Six thirty?"  
  
***  
  
Fujin dragged Raijin down the stairs as they emerged from their cabin, fully clothed with their normal apparel.   
  
"Ow... I promise that I'll never forget to set the alarm," Raijin yowled as he dipped his hand into the clue box. Pinned on the blue and yellow stand of the clue box was a printed note.  
  
"Fujin and Raijin: Despite checking out later than your existing checkout time, you won't be awarded any time credit for this leg."  
  
"Alright, let's see what the clue of the day has to say," Raijin cheered as he gingerly opened the red envelope. "Holy Cow! We're going to Fishermans Horizon!"  
  
***  
  
"It's time," Xu announced after she gulped down her stomach ulcer pills. Quistis and Xu were the final team to check out, who clocked in at 7.13 p.m. yesterday and will have to depart twelve hours later.  
  
"I can sense something exciting in this," Quistis said with a smile while ripping the envelope open. "Get to Fishermans Horizon and bring yourselves to the blue and yellow marker at the top of the Sun Panel."  
  
After reading the clue the two colleagues began hugging each other while walking to a blue taxi parked in front of the lodge. Xu opened the trunk and filled it with their backpacks and equipment while Quistis shoved into the rear passenger seats and started asking questions.  
  
"Do you know how to get to FH from here?" she asked straightforwardly.  
  
"Get a ferry from Fort Halen," the cabdriver replied. Presently, Xu bumped in beside Quistis and forcefully slammed the door. While Quistis applied lipstick, she asked, "How long will we reach Fort Halen?"  
  
"About two hours," he replied while steering into the expressway.  
  
"May we borrow your cell phone and direct us to the travel agency?" The taxi driver pulled out his cell phone from his shirt pocket and dialed.   
  
"Here, speak to the operator. I'll add to the fare."  
  
Xu carefully took the cell phone from the driver's rough hand and neared it to her ear, while she looked out the window to view a train running on its track beside the highway.  
  
"Hello travel agency?" Xu said softly. "I would like to inquire. When's the next ferry from Fort Halen to Fishermans Horizon? Uh huh... Mm hmm... 9.30 a.m.? Okay thanks."  
  
"Oh what a morning," Quistis sighed as she placed her head comfortably on the headrest and closed her eyes for a brief moment of sleep.  
  
***  
  
"Quistis' here!" Selphie cheered as she rose from lying on the bench to waive at the two instructors who came walking towards the group at the departure platform.  
  
"Finally Quistis, you've made it in time," Rinoa said grinning from ear to ear while leaning on a pillar under the white-on-blue platform 3 sign. Squall sat on the floor beside Rinoa with a brochure in hand, smiling at Quistis waiving back at them. Rinoa reacted by pushing Squall's head until his nose poked on the paper.   
  
"Quit fooling around buster!" she screamed.  
  
"Whatever..." Squall muttered. "Whore."  
  
"What did you say Squall?" Rinoa clenched her teeth in anger and pulled Squall to his feet by the ear.  
  
"That hurts," Squall whined in excruciation as he shoved Rinoa's hand off from squeezing his ear.  
  
"As the waves woke up to the morning breeze,   
  
Rinoa strangles Squall due to a tease;"   
  
Daniel chanted spreading his arms to the back while his jacket and hair fluttered to the strong sea breeze.  
  
"Wow Danny, I didn't know you can rhyme," Rachel said sarcastically, leaning against the railing with her elbow. "But it's not up to my standards unfortunately."  
  
"Don't you see I'm having a piece of mind by reciting a haiku?" Daniel insisted and continued on his declamation.   
  
"Lo! and behold, the child of the sea crawling right to our knees."  
  
Subsequently, the passenger-filled ferry arrived at the port to dock at the platform, where about thirty people awaiting their transcontinental journey to the deserted and monster-populated continent of Centra. The ferry, also known as a sea-bus, looked like a bulky version of a yacht and a miniature version of a cruise ship, with a bright orange and white decal printed on the body of the ship, stating the transport's popular motto, "From FH to FH." As soon as all the Galbadia-bound passengers alighted from the ferry, the Centra-bound batch stepped aboard, with some fighting to be first in line to grab the best seats and the best view. Obviously, Selphie was small enough to crawl through the pack and reserved the front left bench nearest to the stern of the ship. Her hair fluttered freely to the breeze as she slanted half of her body outwards from the large sliding windows to waive at Seifer. After a few minutes, the ferry was ready to depart. Squall and Rinoa managed to find a bench beside the window, while Quistis, Xu, Fujin and Raijin sat together at the middle bench. Daniel and Rachel however decided to bunk at the bow of the ferry. Daniel let his body lie on the decayed wooden flooring with his hands behind his head like a pillow. The ship started to rock as sailors hoisted the anchor. The salty and steamy scent of the ocean and the warmness of the morning sun were like a memory he longed for, while the waves resonated like music in his ears, cradling him into a restful nap.  
  
"Rachel, how long has it been since we left Balamb?" Daniel muttered in his sleep as he rotated to face Rachel, sitting against the guardrails between two backpacks looking out at the sight of Galbadia shrinking away into a small piece of land engulfed by a large body of crystal blue water.  
  
"I guess it had been more than a week," Rachel said sentimentally as she crawled to kneel in front of Daniel. She had never seen her partner this relaxed and carefree. She would usually see him, from the top of the double-decker bed in the dorm at night, tossing and turning with his bolster, full of thoughts and worry about his studies and what to serve Instructor Trepe and Xu for breakfast. She felt a little envious at Daniel's nonchalance, but it was gone as she enabled herself to reveal a hidden smile. "I'm beginning to miss Balamb garden. Do you?"  
  
Daniel slowly crept up to a sitting position and stretched his arms with a yawn. He exercised his arms a little before he turned his attention to Rachel with a grinning riposte.  
  
"Rachel do you want to try to lie on the floor?" Daniel offered by patting on the wood with soft thuds.   
  
Rachel removed her shoes and stretched out her legs into a sleeping position. She looked at the blue sky above her, which was a display of clouds drifting by idly. It was indifferent than the spectacle she envisioned at the Timber meadows - smaller clouds would join up into bigger apparitions while large gatherings would separate into clusters, and some would form from one shape into another gradually and ever-changing.   
  
"Danny? Do you really know what I wanted to see all these while?" she asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It's funny that wherever you are the sky looks like same. I wonder if I graduated I could really return to my hometown in Timber."  
  
"I thought we've been there. And I didn't know you're from Timber," he replied in astonishment. "Ah yeah this is the perfect time to share our childhood. Ya know this boat reminds me of my life on a fishing boat with my dad. This scent... it smelled like the sea I've been travelling when I was a kid. Now I finally know where my father fishes and I realised that I should be proud of his job. If I didn't opt to go to Garden I would be right here like this. Now it's your turn Rachel. Rachel?"  
  
Rachel's head felt airy and unstable as she arose from her position. She crawled on all fours to the guardrail weakly and staggeringly. A sickly sensation grew stronger within her as her face started to turn as a little blue as the sky. In the end, she popped her head out of the opening while holding onto the steel beam and released the thing that caused her to feel uneasy orally. She wiped her lips with her long sleeves and feeling a little better, she stood up and approached Daniel in a fetal position.  
  
"God how on earth can you stand sleeping on a boat like this?"  
  
***  
  
"Wow, cool!" Selphie cheered as she popped half of her body out of the window with one hand above her brows horizontally. In front of her was an endless steel structure right on the ocean, decaying from time to time due to erosion. "It's the Ocean Bridge! Too bad it's not in use right now. And I can see the Sun Panel! It's glowing!"  
  
"Ow!!" Quistis yelled as she was sandwiched between Xu and Raijin as the ferry rocked. "Geez I think your germs landed on mine," she teased at Raijin brushing off some dust from her sleeve with a tissue.  
  
"Oh sorry," Raijin said as he touched on Quistis' shoulder. "Here, let me help."  
  
"God, get off me you big oaf!" Quistis cried, forcing Raijin's large, rough hand away and slapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"RAGE!" Fujin flared as she was invoked from her dream. She dreamt about a dark room dimly lit with a few candles. And at the center of the room was Raijin wearing nothing, tied on a mattress with his back facing outwards. She then imagined herself, dressed in black, tight fitting lingerie, kissing and caressing a whip, waiting for the right time to crack it on Raijin's leathery back to produce the most excruciating scream ever.  
  
"Oh no," Raijin shook his head as he started to translate. "She said that no one can hurt me except herself, I think. And she's pretty mad that you destroyed the most wonderful dream, ya know."  
  
"Well," Xu yawned as she awoke to the commotion. "I'm also upset that we couldn't go along together since we're on a race."  
  
Xu bent down to her backpack tucked between her legs to draw out a flask of hot water and the bag of pills she got from the doctor's prescription the day before. She cupped one hand and poured in a couple of pills and chucked them into her mouth, followed by a quick gulp of warm water which soothed her throat. The ferry rocked more as it was about to approached their awaited destination, which was a manmade island settlement erected from a rock at the middle of the ocean beside the Ocean Bridge by railway workers. The island had a bright complexion from afar, which came from large solar plant at the middle of the island. It was once the home of the mayor and a major source of power to the island-city, but now since the discovery of natural gas it was slowly turning to disrepair. The ferry now had to navigate carefully through the rusty steel towers and cranes soaring from the bottom of the sea to a height as high as the Gateway in Deling City.  
  
The ship came to a sudden halt causing the passengers to jolt a little forward. The bag of pills, which Xu held tightly in her hand, was accidentally released and the colorful capsules were spilled and rolled to all directions as the ship cradled to the waves.  
  
"Oh no, my pills!" Xu crawled on all fours aimlessly. She tried to get the capsule in front of her, reaching her arm out and tabbed it with her palm, while she inspected both sides to see some capsules disappeared into tiny air holes. She finally realised that she lost all the capsules but one. Could it be the wildcard for the race?  
  
"Quistis, all my pills are gone," Xu gestured in agony as she walked back to her seat gloomily. She stuffed the capsule into a tiny pocket on her jeans.  
  
"I'm sorry, I should've helped," Quistis said in a comforting way.  
  
"It's not your fault," she sighed. "I hope there's a pharmacy..."  
  
Everything turned dark when the ship entered a tunnel with ceramic tiling and fluorescent lights, carved beneath the isle. At the end of the tunnel were a complex of docks and platforms with a few ferries, small boats, yachts and a couple of luxury liners, and a life-size model of the old Dolletian armada displayed majestically near the entrance. The enormity of the port built inside a sea cavern beneath the isle was simply awe-inspiring.  
  
"Wow, the Mayor sure built something wonderful this time," Selphie commented as the ferry was about to park at the platform. "SUPER-DUPER-MEGA-AWESOME!"  
  
"Squall, don't you feel like being in an underground city at first glance?" Rinoa said thoughtfully, looking out the window.  
  
"Balamb Harbor cum pirate cove," Squall thought shaking his head. "Nah, whatever. I didn't like the Mayor's idea anyway. Won't people feel scared and claustrophobic when they're inside a dark and musty place like this?"  
  
For other people, the underground port is a quintessential landmark to visiting Fishermans Horizon. Selphie flashed her ticket on the reader and the boom gate swung open automatically to usher her into another dimension. This time she was in a gathering of people queuing for tickets to any port in the world. At the center of the complex was a large square used to exhibit models of ships in all shapes and sizes. Daniel had never seen a museum housing every kind of ships and boats. Easily, the island, slowly but surely, will rival the great ports of Balamb and Dollet to the north. Unfortunately, this was not the time for sightseeing, as they had to press on to the task at hand. A long escalator awaited them at the end of the museum, which would carry them to a faint ray of light coming from the outside of Fishermans Horizon. The teams now found themselves on a sidewalk. There were no roads like in Galbadian cities. Instead there were concrete and steel pavements and at the other side was a precarious cliff beside the ocean.   
  
"Where are the taxis?" Raijin questioned, as he had not seen a car on the road. Instead, there were only bicycles, motorcycles and motor-driven trishaws. Fujin soon emerged from the underground, stopping for breath.  
  
"SUN PANEL!" Fujin pointed to a fluttering blue and yellow flag on top of a deck-like structure. "RUN!"  
  
Selphie and Seifer were the first to arrive at the top of the sun panel. The both of them carefully walked along the narrow rim of the bowl-like structure towards a flagged deck with a few people on it. Seifer used both of his hands to grab on the clue box in front of him while Selphie opened the flap to retrieve their clue.  
  
"Slide down the solar panel and follow the arrows to your next set of instructions."  
  
The couple strapped themselves on a flat sled. The millions of small rectangular photocells forming the enormous solar panel emanated a blinding and powerful glow as the sun was directly positioned at the middle of the sky. The couple closed their eyes to shield from the rays. They could feel their sled being pushed gently to a curved ledge and then suddenly they could feel a falling sensation with their faces being pulled away by the wind. They felt themselves jerking forward as the sled was halted by a bulwark at the end of the track.  
  
"COOL!" Selphie waved her arms as she allowed Seifer to unstrap her from the sled. She dumped her crash helmet on the sled as she trailed Seifer to follow a series of flags, luring them into a gateway after circling around the Mayor's former abode at the middle of the bowl. The gateway led them into a building that resembled a crowded shopping mall. After a few more flags to be pursued they found themselves at the entrance of the mall. Down from the stairs were a row of marked trishaws parked against a wall painted with graffiti.  
  
"It's a Roadblock!" Selphie hopped around excitedly after she unraveled the envelope found on the tight passenger seat of the trishaw. "The person to perform this task should have the following: 1. Has a strong back, 2. Likes to break down stuff, and 3. Does not hate water."  
  
"I'll do it," Seifer raised his hand to volunteer. Selphie passed the clue to Seifer and therefore tore away the leaflet for his set of instructions.  
  
"The person performing this task must:  
  
1. Drive the trishaw to any of the marked boats found at the Fisherman Quarters;  
  
2. Dismantle the trishaw but not the motorcycle to be transported on the boat;  
  
3. Steer the boat to the marked buoy on the map and grab the clue.  
  
The other person not performing the task can only do the following:  
  
1. Sit back and enjoy the view on the trishaw;  
  
2. Navigate;  
  
3. Start the engine on the boat."  
  
***  
  
"Oh my god!" Quistis cried as looked down from Xu's back at the giant shiny bowl of the solar plant. Her heart leaped to her throat as she experienced a sudden dropping motion, causing her to scream her lungs out.  
  
  
  
Squall felt something wrapping around his waist as he fitted his crash helmet. He turned behind to see a playful smile on Rinoa's face as she rested her head on Squall's stalwart shoulder.  
  
"Heehee... can I hold you like this?" she giggled, which was followed by a scream as the sled accelerated greatly down the curved track. The feeling of having her heart throbbing madly to the thrilling motion caused her to tighten her grip around Squall more. She let out a sigh of relief after they stopped at the center of the bowl. The couple unstrapped themselves from the sled and followed the flags to their last trishaw.   
  
"I hope you look good on a motorcycle Squall," Rinoa commented as Squall began to start the engine. Squall then drove to the streets, which was beginning to crowd with more vehicles. Not far from the couple in front of them were Quistis and Xu.  
  
"Get as fast as you can, as long as you can lose the instructors," Rinoa ordered, sitting between both their backpacks casually on the passenger seat while examining a large map of the island. Squall pressed the pedals once more causing the motor to hum loudly. Eventually, their trishaw surpassed Quistis'. The instructor was willing to let her enigmatic lover overtake her, but as soon Rinoa came into view, a burning desire grew stronger and stronger in her.  
  
"Think you can beat us?" Rinoa raised her voice, turning around to find Quistis gaining speed and almost touching their bumper. She pointed one finger to the front tyre of the opponent's trishaw. A faint spark which seemed invisible jolted from her finger and in an instant, the rim of the tyre exploded, causing Quistis to swerve into the quayside stalls. Civilians angered as they helplessly looked at their businesses crumbled by the rampaging vehicle. A blue horizon followed after they had broke through the stalls. Quistis and Xu once again shielded their eyes with their arms, this time in terror, as they were about to experience a spectacular splash into the sea.  
  
Quistis and Xu waived their hands while trying to keep themselves afloat. A fishing boat spotted the distress and came to the rescue.  
  
"Thank you so much," Xu sighed as the fisherman pulled her onboard, while Quistis reached out her arms from the boat to retrieve their backpacks and equipment floating on the water like flotsam.   
  
"Oh now what should we do," Xu frowned wringing a wet map in her hand looking at the roof of the trishaw sinking into the depths of the ocean.  
  
"We really blew it this time," Quistis whined while she squatted on the floor covering her face with both hands in devastation. She then rose up and asked the fisherman politely to drop them at Fisherman's Quarters.  
  
***  
  
"There are the boats!" Selphie cheered as she spotted a few sampans lining in front of the pier before them. Seifer stopped the trishaw in front of one of the marked boats and started dismantling the roof of the passenger seat with a wrench found on the boat. Selphie received the parts of the passenger seat from Seifer and stored them in a long wooden box on the boat. Then, Seifer hopped on the boat with the whole motorcycle part while Selphie pulled a chain a few times to fire the motor.  
  
"It's not moving!" Seifer yelled in agony before he turned to the motor to discover green liquid flowing from the plastic casing of the motor.   
  
"What have you done!" he said in disbelief at the gas leak, releasing his grip on the rudder to fling his arms in shock.  
  
"It's all my fault!" Selphie sniffled with tears in her eyes. She then stood up with her arm on her face and climbed back to the pier. "I'm going to look for help."  
  
Seifer lowered his head to his knees, feeling terrible after yelling at Selphie unintentionally. He then recoiled to his sitting position after hearing a shriek followed by a splash.  
  
"Help me! I can't swim!" Selphie wailed. Seifer rushed to the scene to find Selphie flapping her arms trying to keep herself afloat on the water, while a silver-haired female trishaw driver snickered at her not having the initiative to rescue the victim from drowning. It dawned to Seifer that his trustful allies were really serious this time. And they wanted to do things the hard way.  
  
"You horrors!" Seifer furiously lunged to Fujin and shot out his arm wanting to strangle her to death. "Why did you want to hurt my girlfriend?"  
  
"SELPHIE GONE PROBLEMS LESS!" Fujin replied nonchalantly after a short silence and buzzed away from Seifer.  
  
"Seifer!" Selphie waved her arms trying to grab Seifer's attention. "I can't hold..."  
  
Seifer turned his attention to see Selphie disappear from sight and only to find a trace of bubbles. Without hesitation he took off his T-shirt and sneakers and dived into the water for his first ever-heroic attempt.  
  
"Which boat should we choose?" Raijin said as he stepped down from the trishaw.  
  
"THIS," Fujin pointed to Seifer and Selphie's boat. She then grabbed Raijin's arm and pushed him into the boat along with the backpacks. Raijin rose to his feet to find himself a little wet and crept carefully to the bow.  
  
"Err... how do you turn the motor on?" Raijin scratched his head as he squatted down and examined the motor a few times. Fujin then jumped in and walked to the bow irately and gave Raijin a kick on the heel.  
  
"OAF!" Fujin hissed as she pulled the chain causing the motor to vibrate into action.  
  
"Fujin and Raijin!" Rachel pointed from her seat to the duo getting ready to disembark from the pier.   
  
"Goodbye suckers!" Raijin pouted at Daniel and Rachel as he released the knot. The motor began to sputter and the duo was well on their way to the route marker in the middle of the sea.   
  
"There's no time to lose!" Rachel said, jumping down to their sampan along with the backpack, while Daniel took out the wrench and started dismantling the hind wheels.  
  
***  
  
Quistis shivered a little with a thin blanket wrapped around her as she sat back in the fisherman's boat looking at the shimmering reflection of Fishermans Horizon on the water. She was totally inspired by the picturesque but futuristic look on the city. As her eyes followed the reflection of small buildings passing by, she noticed something, floating on the water like a shadow, which did not seem like part of the reflection at all.  
  
"It looks like someone floating on the water," Xu said as the boat changed its course towards the floater. The fishermen then pulled two people onto the boat with the net. Quistis and Xu uncovered their vision from the blanket as they approached the two bodies in curiosity and found a man with a scarred face wearing only waterproof shorts clutching snugly around the shoulders of a petite teenage girl in bright yellow. The instructors gasped in surprise as began to worry as they were able to verify the two people.  
  
"Ugh," water spewed from the man's mouth as he began to regain consciousness. The man rose to sitting position while shaking his aching head.  
  
"Seifer, are you alright?" Quistis asked in concern as she wrapped her blanket around Seifer's damp body. "What happened to you and Selphie?"  
  
"Selphie?" A thought struck Seifer and immediately he turned to his side to find Selphie lying on the floor motionless. "Oh shit, you can't just go like that!"  
  
Without hesitation, Seifer conducted his own version of CPR on the body - pressing Selphie's chest a few times with both hands and then transferring his breath to her orally and then pressing her chest to repeat the process. At this point, Quistis remembered what Squall told her last night.  
  
"If Selphie knew Seifer's true intentions, she might want to do something rash since she doesn't like to be lied."  
  
"It seemed too good to be true," Quistis thought, feeling a little envious as she and the fishermen sat back and watched the drama. "I think Selphie hit the jackpot."  
  
After transferring his breath the sixth time, he felt discouraged and depressed, only to find that there was yet a sign of movement by Selphie's body. He could not control his gentler emotions growing in him and in the end he shed a few tears filled with deep remorse.  
  
"Seifer," Xu said with a little comfort as she patted on Seifer's shoulder. Seifer angrily shoved her hand away and remained speechless as he glanced at Selphie's radiant complexion before burrowing his head into his arms.  
  
"Seifer!" Seifer ignored the voices around him and continued thinking about what he should have done beforehand to better the circumstances. "Seifer, she's waking up!"  
  
Upon hearing, Seifer raised his brow and crept ecstatically to Selphie's body once more. Selphie choked out small amounts of water from her mouth and started to breathe heavily.   
  
"Wha... where am I?" Selphie slowly opened her eyes and felt a warm body close to hers.  
  
"Thank goodness you're alright," Seifer sighed in relief as he snuggled Selphie and wrapped half of his blanket around her shoulders. The couple slowly rose up to their feet and shuffled to the living quarters of the boat along with Quistis and Xu.  
  
"You don't mind sharing your story with your instructors, do you?" Xu said crossing her arms, grinning from ear to ear.  
  
***  
  
"Huh?" Raijin clucked as he felt something really wrong happening around Fujin and himself. "Why is the boat slowing down?"  
  
Fujin stopped controlling the rudder situated next to the motor and turned behind to inspect the motor. The sampan finally came to a complete halt and it was at this point that the duo apprehended the blunder they had made.  
  
"RAGE!" Fujin angered by punching the boat on both sides with her fists. Eventually, the boat rocked and water was poured into the base of the boat.  
  
Raijin raised his hand and positioned it horizontally above his brow. He spun around scanning the perimeter, only to find Fujin and himself together on the same boat surrounded by a large green body.  
  
"We're at the middle of the ocean!" Raijin screamed his lungs out after realising that he was seaswept. He then fell to his hands and feet and crawled towards Fujin pathetically and humbly like a servant.   
  
"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?" Raijin exclaimed desperately, pulling his hair from his scalp.  
  
"PATHETIC FOOL!" Fujin fumed as she kicked Raijin on the stomach, causing him to fall on his belly in excruciation. "Boats have oars, don't they?"  
  
She crept to the wooden box nearby slowly and opened it followed by a creaking sound. She frantically dug through the metal parts and two tyre rims, hoping to find a pair of oars, but to no avail. She then turned her attention to the base of the boat, which was drenched with seawater. Nothing was found but a baby snapper wiggling around the bottom of the boat.  
  
"RAGE!" Fujin expressed her frustration by flinging the fish back into the ocean. The snapper was relieved to be back in the water and swam happily around the boat.  
  
"Ha ha... those two humans sure are dumb."  
  
***  
  
Daniel and Rachel found themselves surrounded by rusty steel crucifixes erected on the water. These were the graves of the victims who lost their lives in the tragic S. S. Loire shipwreck. Rachel, who scouts at the stern of the sampan, spotted the remains of the shipwreck from afar. A small bright dot appeared in front of the wreckage and enlarged into the shape of a brightly coloured buoy, floating above the murky seawater.   
  
"Yeah, we're first!" Rachel happily pulled out one of the five envelopes tied in a bunch on a small wooden basin tied to the buoy. Inside the envelope contained two separate sets of instructions and a new map.  
  
"Detour: Orthodox or Unorthodox,  
  
ORTHODOX: Get to the Centra Cruiser Fishing Vessel and perform a local fisherman practice.  
  
UNORTHODOX: Get to the Lighthouse Tower construction site and climb to the top of Crane Tower No. 26.  
  
Further instructions will you given when you arrive at either destinations."  
  
"Let's go the fishing vessel!" Rachel suggested.  
  
"Agreed," Daniel nodded his head in affirmation as the motor began to sputter.  
  
***  
  
Selphie sneezed and sniveled, gazing at the marina from the starboard of the ship. Beside her on the bench was Seifer, fiddling his silver chain necklace while looking down at the drenched hardwood floor. Both minds sank into deep thought, probably thinking about their relationship in the future. One thing was clear to Selphie that Seifer was actually a genuine and honest person, which was a far cry from the qualities people seen in Seifer back in Garden.  
  
The fishing boat soon docked at the eastern part of Fisherman Quarters. Quistis and Xu first walked down the ramp and dumped their backpacks on the pier. Seifer followed, holding two backpacks while helping Selphie, who was still half-awake, to get on the ramp. Selphie struggled in her footing and needed Seifer's aid once more as she shuffled slowly to the pier with two vacant sampans.  
  
"What about the trishaw?" Selphie cried as Seifer carried her to the boat.  
  
"Forget about it," Seifer patted on Selphie's shoulder, giving her a little word of encouragement and paced to the bow carefully to start the motor.  
  
Quistis and Xu were spotted floating on the water a few yards away. They waved both of their arms and shouted. "Let's go together!"  
  
***  
  
"Squall, are you sure were on the right track?" Rinoa quavered as she felt dwarfed by the eerie long shadows of the towering crucifixes growing towards her.  
  
"Whatever Rinoa!" Squall hollered nonchalantly as he was in a relaxed position steering the rudder.  
  
Rinoa donned her dark sunglasses, ready and on the lookout as the boat started to slow down. A red bell-shaped objet arose from the casting shadows, which stimulated Rinoa into brief delight.  
  
"Wonderful job Squall," Rinoa praised as she reached out for the envelopes on the mini raft. She tore open the envelope to read the contents cynically.  
  
"Ugh, a Detour. Squall, you want to go to the fishing vessel or the Lighthouse Tower?"  
  
"Which is nearer?" he asked.  
  
"Here, check it out yourself," Rinoa threw the enclosed parchment like a Frisbee to Squall. His jaw started to drop as the map hovered in front of him, being carried away by the light sea breeze and landed on the water.  
  
"I'm sorry Squall," Rinoa said apologetically, covering her mouth as she could only afford to see the map sinking into the water with black runny ink floating at the surface. Squall slammed with both palms on the brittle wooden beam of the boat to show his tantrum. He shook his head and then looked up to Rinoa.  
  
"Fine, we'll go to the lighthouse. I know where it is."  
  
Rinoa felt a little relieved and touched as the boat started to motion.  
  
"I'm glad Squall did something right this time!" she thought in her mind with a gentle smile.  
  
***  
  
"OW!" Fujin yelped reacting to the stinging on her wound as seawater splashed onto her forehead.  
  
"Honey, are you okay?" Raijin stood up slowly to regain his balance. The boat rocked side to side as Raijin stomped with one leg across a beam towards the other end of the boat. Fujin raised her palm trying to halt Raijin. Immediately, Raijin lost balance and fell with his butt landed in between two beams.  
  
A white fibreglass speedboat cut through the water as it traveled from an island to the marina. It was always an everyday sight on the ocean as the driver whistled to the humming of the propellers - dolphins swimming near the surface of the crystal clear water, the old unpainted railway bridge once erected proudly to the right and the glimmering complexion of the marina in front. This time, the driver spotted something alien to the native waters. It was a norm that fishing boats would fish at the other side of Fishermans Horizon, but this time it was undeniably a sampan and a motorcycle stranded in the middle of prohibited waters.  
  
A figure of a silver-haired woman, with a bandage wounding her head, and an apparition of a dark-skinned athletic meathead, clad in a simple white T-shirt and dark spandex soon arose in the driver's point of view. The both of them were on two sides of the boat, quarreling and pointing their fingers at each other irately.   
  
"What the heck their doing on Fascostilachion waters!?" the driver thought as he slowed down the boat to approach the duo.  
  
"Are you guys insane?" the driver hollered, causing the duo to stop arguing and turn their attention to the driver in a white flat cap. "You guys should turn back right away!"  
  
"We ran out of gas, ya know!" Raijin raised his voice to explain.  
  
"Okay you guys can hop in while I help to fill up your tank." The driver bent down to pick up a bottle of gasoline and then secured a rope between the taxi and the sampan. The driver stepped onto the sampan and scrutinised the motor, while Fujin fiddled the water-taxi control and Raijin resting on the seats with his backpack as a pillow.  
  
"This motor has a leak," the driver discovered. He raised his head to see his vehicle drifting away from him.  
  
"What are you guys doing!" he yelled, waving his arms trying to catch the duo's attention. Instead, Raijin rolled up the rope and Fujin finally started the engine. The boat turned and picked up speed, squirting a splatter of water on the sampan to cool down the driver's anger.  
  
"God I can't believe I got into this mess," the driver said to himself as he took out a black cell phone from his pocket. He looked down at the base of the boat to see bits of wood chewing away. His eyes widened filling with fear and terror as a bright yellow fish with a red dorsal fin squeezed itself from the hole it made, baring its sharp teeth gleaming greedily under the afternoon sun.   
  
"No! The Fascostilachions!"  
  
"It was dirty, but I buy it!" Raijin joked giving Fujin a high five and the both of them snickered diabolically.  
  
***  
  
"I see the ship!" Rachel hollered as she pointed with her hand to the large brown vessel with its name, the Centra Cruiser, printed in white on the body. As Daniel parked the sampan below the starboard of the ship, a sailor rolled down a ladder made of hemp towards the couple. The ladder looked insecure and fragile at first due to fibres sticking out from each rung, but it was sturdy and taut. Rachel first reached the top of the ladder and was assisted by the sailors tugging her up to the deck. Daniel was next to climb up to the deck of the ship and immediately returned to Rachel's side to receive his much-awaited greeting by the captain.  
  
"G'day mateys," the aging captain gave a lopsided smile with a cigar between his lips as he affably started his introduction. "My name's Captain Morgan and welcome aboard the S.S. Centra.  
  
Today I want you two to help my men pull that big net over there. There'll be plenty o' fish in it and I want you two to transfer thirty-five fishies into the barrel with your bare hands, the old fashioned way," Captain Morgan laughed as he puffed out a small ring of smoke. "Don't just stand there, you may begin now!"  
  
Rachel paced a little and started jostling to the other side of the deck. Daniel on the other hand leaped and skipped like an overjoyed and impatient bespectacled child. A large net was cast to the ocean below. The Trepies blended into the group of fishermen around the gigantic net and gripped onto the rough strands of netting. A signal was sounded and the men started heaving the net. Rachel followed to pull the net, which felt weighing at least a ton and there were sporadic and random movements at the bottom of the net. Rigorously, the net was raised completely from the water along with a bountiful catch of Tropical Snakefish.  
  
The fish were finally brought to the deck and the fishermen started to transfer them into chilled barrels with their bare hands. It was an icky experience for Daniel as the snakefish felt warm and slimy, wiggling and slipping easily from his grip. A few trials and errors were made and the Trepies finally got the rhythm to transfer all thirty-five snakefish into the container.  
  
"Well done mateys," Captain Morgan congratulated as he wrapped his shoulders around the Trepies. In one hand, he held their prize, the clue to their next destination, and handed it to Rachel.  
  
"Great!" Rachel snatched the clue delightedly and did not mind spreading slime all over the paper. "Congratulations you have completed the detour. Now get to the pier at Island Settlement 3, reassemble the trishaw and drive yourselves to Karakola Beach."  
  
***  
  
Squall and Rinoa arrived at the site of the Lighthouse Tower project. The couple tilted their heads to look up at the lofty 'Skyscraper of the Sea'. Surrounding the unfinished tower were massive steel crane towers, which were erected from the seabed to supply antirust iron bars to the daredevils riveting the materials to form a sturdy and reinforced structure. Squall cruised around the base to search for their destination. They finally found a rusty and unused crane tower, which was marked 26 in chalky white at the bottom. Squall tied the boat to the floating base of the tower while Rinoa climbed the uncountable steps spiraling to the top of the tower. The uppermost level of the tower was shaped like a cage as large as a studio apartment with the crane mounting in front. Once the couple reached the top, an engineer stopped fiddling the controls and rose from behind the seat.  
  
"Welcome to my humble abode," he greeted and bowed shyly, while eyeing at Rinoa's winning smile, which was by far the most beautiful he had ever seen. "On to the task in hand."  
  
The middle-aged engineer cleared his throat and flung a pole-like object at Squall. Squall picked up the pole from the steel floor. It was a fishing pole. The engineer grinned from ear to ear as his tone started to perk up, pointing his finger to Squall.  
  
"I want you to fish me lunch, the FH engineers' way."  
  
Squall's heart palpitated as he tiptoed cautiously along the narrow steel beam to the edge of the crane head. Trying to calm down, he squatted and sat on the beam between his legs. He then cast the fishing line as it plunged a hundred feet to the calm sea below. The breeze was not that as strong as he expected but the feeling of being elevated by a flimsy steel bar was nauseous and scary.  
  
"What a good day of fishing," Squall said to himself trying to retain his composure while perspiration beaded on his forehead as his eyes focused on the fishing line in front of him.  
  
"How many should I catch?" he shouted as he turned around to the engineer sitting behind the control panel.  
  
"Just one!" the engineer replied. He turned around to see Rinoa sitting alone, worrying about Squall's safety. "Err... make that two!"  
  
The engineer rose up from his seat and crawled to Rinoa foxily. He then squatted down beside Rinoa baring his teeth as he grinned playfully.  
  
"Don't worry. Your boyfriend's going to be just fine," he reassured.  
  
"Nah it's nothing," Rinoa stood up to take a glimpse at what her boyfriend was doing.  
  
"How does it feel out there?" Rinoa bellowed with her hands cupped around her mouth. Squall did not give a slight reaction at all like as if he was meditating.  
  
"My it must be scary out there," Rinoa thought biting her nails. Her mind trailed off as she felt a warm movement creeping on her back.  
  
"What are you doing!" Rinoa angered sharply as she shoved of the man's hand off from touching her body. The engineer reacted by laughing a little and began to sound diabolical.  
  
"It's been a long time a woman has been here!" the man laughed sinisterly as he loomed over the helpless looking Rinoa like a vampire, wanting to wound his arms around her. "Don't worry your boyfriend won't be able to hear us."  
  
"You're in no luck this time mister," Rinoa muttered with a cunning smile.  
  
"Aaahh... Owwww!!!" the engineer yelled in excruciation as he was pinned to the floor with his arms yanked to the back. "Stop it. STOP IT!!!!"  
  
"That's for trying to lay a finger on the president's daughter," Rinoa warned, tightening her grasp around the dirty-minded man causing more torturous pain. She then relinquished her grip as Squall returned with two tiny snappers.  
  
"What the heck is going around here?" Squall's jaw dropped as he looked at the engineer wriggling like a dying worm on the floor.  
  
"Here..." the man choked as he lifted a red envelope weakly to Rinoa. Squall dropped the fish and the pole, which clanged on the steel floor, following Rinoa down the stairs in rapture.  
  
"Karakola Beach... Island Settlement 3..." Rinoa gasped, flinging her arms to the air with the clue delightfully. "To the pit stop we go!"  
  
***  
  
Daniel and Rachel steered their boat until it passed under the Ocean Bridge to a string of five islets. Each of these islets had identical white roofed buildings, beaches and terrain. It was not easy to discern between the different neighborhoods. The Trepies tried their luck by careening to the island third from the left. A few fishermen were found sitting together on the pier chewing tobacco while mending their net.  
  
"Excuse me," Daniel asked trying to sound as curt as he could. The dark skinned and thin fishermen turned their heads and with their bright eyes wide open stared deeply into the Trepies as if they were looking at their souls. "Is this Island Settlement three?"  
  
"Forget it Danny," Rachel said, feeling a little intimidated. Immediately, they left the island and hopped to the next islet in front of them.  
  
"Do you know where Island Settlement Three is?" Rachel asked, shouting to a man working on his yacht.  
  
"It's the island just behind you," the man pointed. Without further ado, Daniel turned the boat around preparing to return to the island.  
  
"I knew we were right," Rachel uttered. "Those aborigines are scary."  
  
Daniel cursed the aborigine fishermen as he reassembled the trishaw on the island pier. Daniel dumped the wrench after tightening the last bolt and immediately hopped on the motorcycle to start the engine. Rachel bumped on the passenger seat with the backpacks stocked below her as the trishaw traveled through the hilly terrain of the island.  
  
"There it is!" Rachel exclaimed as she saw two figures standing on the beach in front of them. Daniel's motorcycle roared, turning into a row of sheds by the beach and parked the whole trishaw into a designated spot. The Trepies started leaping to the sand-covered quintessential mat more ecstatic than the previous legs.  
  
"Welcome to the Friendly Isles," a stout bearded white-skinned man clad in a bright red flower-printed shirt and shorts greeted. Daniel and Rachel bowed their heads as the man placed a jasmine garland around their shoulders.  
  
"Jeez, and I thought aborigines are supposed to be friendly," Rachel thought while sniffing the fragrance of her garland.  
  
"Daniel and Rachel," Cid said in his husky voice as he turned his eyes scrolled from Daniel to Rachel while curving his lips into a smirk. Rachel placed her hands firmly on behind the hips, feeling a little tense. "You're the first team to arrive!"  
  
Daniel's mouth hung open in disbelief. Both Trepies turned to face each other, holding their hands and bouncing on the mat a few times in epiphanic intoxication.  
  
"Whee!" Daniel cheered flinging his arms into the air and rolled into the soft warm sand. He then rolled his body to a lying position and moved his arms and legs back and forth making fan patterns on the sand, while he looked back smiling like a moron at Rachel who was about to pounce on him.  
  
"This is wonderful!" Rachel burst out with silly laughter, rubbing the sand with her arms while gazing at the bright blue sky which seemed to look the same anywhere.  
  
The well-known couple of the Garden community was soon seen jostling along the beach. Rinoa turned to her side, checking out the people soaking the warmth of the hot sun on their deckchairs. She spotted a familiar couple in dark sunglasses and bathing suits, waving and smiling at them cheekily.  
  
"The Trepies beat us here," Rinoa muttered sarcastically, jabbing on Squall's oblique lightly with her elbow.  
  
Squall and Rinoa finally arrived at the checkpoint, where they were welcomed with a garland of fresh and sweet-smelling jasmine flowers around their neck. Both of them were in relief but unsatisfied with their current standings. Nevertheless, Rinoa rubbed her hands and could not wait to dig her toes into the golden sand while Squall just wanted to slump on one of the deckchairs for a long undisturbed nap. The Trepies had their share of fun so what was the harm taking the opportunity to unwind and relax from the chaos and jeopardy?  
  
***  
  
Selphie wheezed, gasping for breath as she climbed wearily up the spiral steps of the crane tower. Rust sprinkled on Seifer's hair after every step was taken heavily. Seifer fumed in anger having to brush off the dirt off his short rugged hair all the time but he was able to control his composure just to hide his demeanor from the three women.  
  
"Oh good three women this time," the engineer thought looking down at Quistis from above drooling a little. "I hope they're not as ferocious as Miss Caraway."  
  
Selphie arrived at the cage of the crane tower first followed by Seifer and the instructors. The lust within the man greatened as his eyes scrolled between Xu and Quistis. "Now's the opportunity to reel in the mermaids! Try to be docile."  
  
"Uh, mister?" Selphie asked and the man immediately switched his attention to Selphie. "What are we going to do now to get our clue?"  
  
"Oh err... well you just catch a fish!" the man explained, then shaking his head.  
  
"But it's not normal fishin'," he added, pointing to the beam jutting outward of the crane head. "You'll have to catch one fish at the beam right there like the engineer folk here do. Only one person may do this."  
  
"Cool!" Selphie cheered leaping to the air. She bumped her head on the roof and immediately Seifer rubbed her head to soothe the ache, which caused the engineer to spark a little jealously as his eyes turned a little green.  
  
"I have to redeem myself," the man told to himself closing his eyes and loosening his fist.  
  
"I wanna try!" Selphie raised her hand exclaiming like a pure adrenaline junkie. She asked Seifer to wait for her at the base and then the engineer laid his hand on her back to guide her to the beam.  
  
"I got tons of questions," Selphie squeaked as she arrived at the beginning of the beam. A strong wind picked up whipping her hair in different directions. "Do you live here by yourself?"  
  
"Yeah," the man replied honestly scratching the back of his head.  
  
"How long you've been living here?"  
  
"About five to six years."  
  
"What about your wife and children? Don't you leave this dump once in a while and visit them especially on Christmas Day?"  
  
The engineered clenched his teeth feeling a little intimidated by Selphie's question. A strong feeling of anger urged him to let it all out like the fire of a cannon.  
  
"Do you think I'm old?" he flared.  
  
"Err..." Selphie grinned uneasily, showing her white pearly teeth. "I guess it's fun being an engineer, I guess?"  
  
The engineer irate pushed Selphie to stand on the beam just as the wind died down. Selphie walked across the beam shakily at first but soon regained her balance and paced all the way to the edge of the beam in tiny steps. The engineer slapped his forehead in aggravation although Selphie safely made the journey. Seifer could see Selphie from the stairway, sitting cross-legged on the lofty beam casting the line and hook which plunged and dipped lightly into the ocean.   
  
Selphie felt an unbearable dizziness gazing down at the water. She started focusing at the line, which really helped her to ease the sickness. It was like being in a trance. She could not hear the waves, the sound of heavy construction nor Seifer's voice from below. She just wanted to hear a slight plucking sound on the string. It was like a few seconds and the line started to stretch a little. She gleefully reacted to the pulling sensation of the line and started reeling in the catch.  
  
"So err... are you single?" the engineer asked bashful to Quistis who turned to him in surprise in an instant.  
  
"Yes I am. Why do you ask that?" Quistis replied crossing her arms and giving the engineer a firm look while Xu giggled hysterically to herself as softly as she could.  
  
The engineer grabbed Quistis' hands as his face reddened a little replying Quistis with an erotic expression. "Will you marry me?"  
  
A painful and hot sensation hit the man on the face as Quistis delivered a powerful slap. She retracted her hand and began to sound apologetic. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No no, it's nothing!" the man chuckled while soothing the pain with a bag of ice cubes he took from his equipment box, trying as hard as could to hide the agony to the excruciation.  
  
Presently, Selphie returned to the inside of the crane head with the fishing pole in one hand and a string hooking onto a wiggling fish in the other.  
  
"Can I have my clue now?"  
  
The man stuffed the red envelope tightly into Selphie's fist and pushed her into the stairway. The petite teenage girl sobbed a little as she descended the stairs, which caused the man to slap on the forehead and rubbing his hand down the face.  
  
"So do you like fishing?" the engineer grinned shyly turning his attention back to Quistis. Xu looked down to the base of the tower to see Seifer and Selphie starting the boat.  
  
"Quistis, I thought they're supposed to wait for us!" she exclaimed. Quistis followed to look down to the two figures sitting on the sampan about the leave the area.  
  
"The bastard," Quistis bravely picked up the fishing pole from the ground. "No time to lose!"  
  
The engineer now switched his target to Xu, who was now alone and positioned herself into a self-defense pose.  
  
"Careful," she warned. "I'm a black belt in jujitsu."  
  
***  
  
"Aye, aye. Welcome aboard the S.S. Centra," Captain Morgan welcomed to the arrival of Fujin and Raijin who were about to climb up to the deck of the ship. Fujin was first to reach the deck of the fishing vessel. Tidying her hair, she lifted her head up until her eye met the captain's. "Aye, what a pretty lass."  
  
The snakefish slipped through Raijin's hand like soap. After not getting a single fish in the next three attempts he was totally demoralised and sat on the wet surface on his butt. Fujin fumed and kicked his butt springing Raijin back into action in an instant.  
  
"Har, har," the wizened old captain chuckled puffing out a few rings of smoke. He walked with the red envelope in one hand to the duo, wiping the slime from the fish on their trousers.  
  
"You shall be the new queen of the pirates!" the captain grabbed Fujin's hand and began to kiss it gently. Fujin's face immediately turned black and started swinging her arm to deliver a smack on the captain's wrinkled and loose cheek.  
  
"RAGE!" she hissed as she snatched the clue from the old man, lying on the ground on his back squirming in pain.  
  
"She says that she doesn't like to be harassed by a dirty hundred-year-old geezer," Raijin translated.  
  
"RUN!" Fujin yelled, slapping on Raijin's butt to make him dash from the furious and irate crewmembers who were approaching them bloodthirstily with their sharp knives and daggers. The duo ran to the other side of the ship, but halted when more angry sailors and crewmembers blocked the exit.  
  
"Halt!" a firm husky voice rang in the air. The crowd stirred up and diverged into two equal parts allowing Captain Morgan to pass through and meet with the duo in person.  
  
"Follow me to the study," he said grinning from ear to ear.  
  
The duo followed the captain to the gallows of the ship holding a candlelit lantern in each of their hands, which barely illuminated the bone-chilling darkness around them. An eerie creak sounded as the captain carefully pushed open a door to reveal a dimly lit study. Fujin and Raijin hanged their lanterns on the antique coat hanger next to the door and scanned the room. Although they were completely surrounded by tall racks of dusty books, portraits of ancient pirates and people lingered on the walls, including an old framed giant-sized world map displayed shabbily with cobwebs stringing all over. Fujin turned to her side and looked up at a handsome looking one-eyed pirate with silver hair like hers.   
  
"Is that..." Fujin muttered.  
  
"Yes that's your great-great grandfather, Privateer Kazejin Yakuza," the captain said pointing at the portrait.  
  
"Wha!?!?" Raijin yelped widening his eyes in disbelief and rubbed his eyes to look at the yellowed portrait again. "That means... that means Fujin is really a pirate?"  
  
Fujin slapped the captain on the cheek when something struck her in the mind. Raijin came to calm her down as her arm began to vibrate unsteadily.  
  
"MURDERER!" Fujin exclaimed as she lunged towards him but was halted by Raijin. The captain rubbed his cheek and started to look a little mortified.  
  
"I know I'm a sick bastard but that's all in the past," the captain said sorrowfully. "I hope you can forgive me for what I did Miss Yakuza."  
  
Fujin eased herself and bowed her head down a little in remorse. Tears ran through her hands as she covered her face and sobbed.  
  
"What the heck's going on here, ya know?" Raijin wondered with his hands on his waist. Fujin stopped crying and turned around to face Raijin.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you and Seifer about my past," Fujin said in her soft and warm tone and began striding around the room with her hands on her back. "The aboriginal fishermen around the FH area are the descendents of pirates. My parents are one of those kin and the captain here is my half-uncle. My father was poisoned by a stonefish when I was only six. My half-uncle was supposed to go to FH to get the antidote but when he got back an hour later, my father passed away. After that, my mother can't stand the hardship of living in a vessel and the both of us moved to Galbadia. We were caught in a storm along the way and washed up on a beach near Winhill. I survived but my mom didn't."  
  
Fujin finished morbidly and leaned with her forehead on one of the bookshelves. The look of anguish returned on Fujin's face remembering her painful past. She bit her lower lip and began to shed a few tears.  
  
"Now, now, I know how you feel," Raijin tried as best as he could to sound comforting as he approached Fujin. "At least you got Seifer and me as your new family. And yeah don't forget Squall and the others, Instructor Xu and Instructor Trepe, Dr. Kadowaki, Headmaster Cid and all of Balamb Garden!"  
  
Fujin spun around slowly with melancholy. She reached out her arms and immediately hugged Raijin after listening to such encouraging words by a meathead.  
  
The sun was now at the middle of the horizon and Fujin gave her last kiss and hug to her uncle.  
  
"I'm sorry I can't stay a little longer," Fujin said as she broke off from her uncle and boarded the stolen water taxi.   
  
Fujin pushed Raijin away from the controls and the engine of the boat began to hum. Raijin untied the rope attached to the floating platform beneath the body of the ship and the boat began to drift a few inches away. Captain Morgan waved back at the departing two with a warm fatherly smile. Fujin turned her head to face the group waving back at her in a tearful goodbye. She shed a few tears but was more determined to continue the race and return to her kin in full glory.  
  
"Say Raijin," Fujin said clutching tightly on the steering wheel. "What's your past like?"  
  
"Wha!?" Raijin yipped sounding a little startled, slouching on the bow of the taxi with his hands behind the back of his head.   
  
"Who cares about the past?" he said nonchalantly.   
  
***  
  
Shrouded by a thick steamy mist, the picture of the five mountainous islands strung together to form a chain of islets sharpened as Seifer and Selphie steered pass the Ocean Bridge. They headed to one of the islands to find a white sandy bay glimmering under the bright sunlight. They approached the beach to find the familiar figure of Cid Kramer standing on the beach calmly with his short brown hair fluttering to the breeze. The couple docked the boat on a nearby pier and they were soon seen treading along the beach holding their hands. Selphie later turned into a dash with seawater splashing into different directions under her feet.  
  
"Headmaster Cid!!" she yelled out loud and eventually landed with both feet on the mat.  
  
"Seifer and Selphie," Cid spoke in a moderate tone, which stirred a little concern on each of their faces. "You're the third team to arrive. Unfortunately you failed to complete the Roadblock and did not follow the final set of instructions. You have been given a time penalty of three hours plus an additional one hour and twenty-two minutes."  
  
A van carrying a blonde bespectacled woman and an oriental young lady arrived at pavement by Karakola Beach. Quistis and Xu alighted from the van with their backpacks and ran as fast as they could vehemently towards the pit stop.  
  
"We made it!" Quistis said as she bent down exhaustedly. She then gave Xu a high five and the both of them turned to the serene looking headmaster.  
  
"Quistis and Xu," he began. "You're the fourth team to arrive. Unfortunately you have been given a three hour and fifty-four minute time penalty. So we'll see the outcome when the last team arrives."  
  
***  
  
It was now exactly 4 p.m. as Fujin and Raijin arrived at the Island Settlement pier looking for a ride. The sun began to dip itself into the blue ocean, casting an orange glimmer on the water at the edge of the horizon.  
  
"TAXI!" Fujin yelled waving her hand in the air as she walked along the pavements beside the dirt road. A trishaw soon arrived heeding Fujin's call and braked in front of the duo.  
  
"Where do you want to go?" the driver asked, turning the engine of the motorcycle off. As he stepped down the motorcycle, his conscious blacked out after receiving a hard blow on the head by Raijin. Fujin scouted the perimeter and gave the signal to Raijin to hide the body inside the bushes beneath the palm trees.   
  
"LET'S GO," Fujin hopped onto the motorcycle and turned it on giving the motor a vroom pressing on the accelerator.  
  
Fujin and Raijin dumped their backpacks on the wet sand and halted in front of Cid Kramer with a sign of intense on their faces. Fujin closed her eyes for a moment and held onto Raijin's hand snugly as the both of them awaited their coordinator's verdict.  
  
"Fujin and Raijin," Cid started with a sigh, which added to the duo's anxiety.  
  
"You're the last team to arrive, and you have been given a five hour time penalty for stealing public property and for not completing the Roadblock added to another 35 minutes."  
  
Raijin tried to stop the tears beading in his eyes but the verdict was too devastating. He could not help it but to cry in defeat in Fujin's arms. Fujin patted on Raijin's back. She too could not bear the current circumstances as tears freely ran down her smooth cheek.  
  
"However," Cid interrupted and gave them a warm wrinkly smile. "There's always a red letter day in the world. The good news is this is not an elimination leg and you're not eliminated. Congratulations!"  
  
Raijin howled and cried more than ever, tightening his grip lovingly around Fujin. Fujin began to perk up and kicked Raijin in the shin.  
  
"STOP IT," she said with her cheeks turning a little rosy. "EMBARRASSED..."  
  
The final team trod back to their chalet dragging their backpacks along, while Cid Kramer jumped onboard an oncoming yacht and exhibited himself in front of the cameraman.   
  
"Well that was the end of this leg of the race. Daniel and Rachel will be the first team to depart while the last team, Fujin and Raijin will depart twelve hours from now and lagging behind the first team by about ten hours. Will Daniel and Rachel hold their lead or others will overtake the moderately favorable team? Stay tuned for the next episode."  
  
***  
  
A group of engineers and builders gathered around at the center of the unfinished Lighthouse Tower. The shadow of the surrounding pillars crept to the electric heater at the middle of the floor when the sun set into a scarlet hue.  
  
"Today was really wild," the middle-aged engineer from Crane Tower 8 mumbled chewing the crust of a hard piece of bread, while some others reached out their hands to enjoy the warmth of the heater. "I had four women visiting my shack but they're too wild.  
  
I wished I was in the good old days, drinking and dating with the women in the bar after work," he sighed nostalgically, and then rose up to his feet as if he was struck by lightning. "But now we're stuck in this dump and Mayor Dobe doesn't give a damn about us but the damn lighthouse!"   
  
The engineer squatted to the floor and punched his palm with his other hand balled into a fist, while giving everyone an energetic look as he scrolled from one construction worker to the other.  
  
"Besides the Mayor doesn't come from these parts and I don't understand how on earth a mad scientist from Esthar can order us to turn our home into a solar plant, and now we were forced to build the port and this with our bare hands!" He spoke with his eyes glowing with full of vision and rose back up. "Someday we'll overthrow the mayor and make this place our own once again!"   
  
It was a short but beautiful and inspiring speech and tears of aspiration appeared in everyone's faces. The group immediately celebrated their influential speaker and rose up together clamoring into a single patriotic vociferation; a vociferation that can be heard from miles away, which would surely shake the very revolutionary grounds of Fishermans Horizon. 


	8. Enter Xenophobia

Enter Xenophobia  
  
----------------  
  
The large screen with nine separate video panel makes up the major part of the makeshift studio. Four of these panels were blacked out, while the other five showed images of the remaining five teams of the race.   
  
"SEIFER!" Fujin yelled blasting into Seifer's room, where he was seen sitting on the mattress cross-legged with Selphie behind him gently undid the bandage around the forehead.  
  
"There, it's done!" Selphie said cheerfully, throwing away the old salt-smelling cloth into a basket. "Not a scar at all."  
  
"APOLOGIES," Fujin bowed apologetically.  
  
"She says that we're sorry for what we did today, ya know," Raijin translated after he tailed Fujin into the chalet room. He gave a short wink at Selphie and then diverted his attention to Seifer.   
  
"I see the damage on your head has healed boss," Raijin chuckled boisterously, but soon shrank back into his sheepish and oafish self as Seifer banged on the bedside table hardly with his palm.  
  
"Enough of your meaningless coaxing you fool," Seifer clamoured. Immediately, Selphie crept to Seifer's side tugging his arm.  
  
"It's not their fault Seifer," she persuaded. "I just got a shock when they appeared suddenly from nowhere. I mean they're your friends and friends should forgive each other. You know the time when Zell broke my..."  
  
"SHUT UP!" Seifer yelled furiously, causing everyone to freeze in their positions in silence. He then covered his face shamefully for a moment and climbed down the bed to approach the speechless duo in his usual sinister grin.  
  
"I'm sorry that I burst out like that," Seifer cooed, standing between the duo and wrapping his arms around their shoulders. "Since I'm in a good mood and Selphie insisted that I do this, I forgive you all. Let's forget about the past and plan the future."  
  
Seifer returned to Selphie's side after whispering to the duo for a short while. Fujin and Raijin closed the door behind them and walked along the open sandy terrace to their room. A look of frustration was carved on the woman's face.  
  
"SELFISH BASTARD!" Fujin hissed in aggravation, causing the wound on her forehead to sting.  
  
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Raijin asked. "I'm glad Seifer's still with us."  
  
"NEGATIVE," Fujin uttered sharply as she stood in front of Raijin with her eye looking directly into Raijin's innocent pair of puppy eyes. "We do not have to serve Seifer like we used to. Seifer's a son-of-a-bitch who only cares for himself and remember how he treated us when he was under the Sorceress' control. Now I can see that he's repeating the same thing again because he wanted the money so badly. Besides, we have our future together to defend."  
  
"But, but..." Raijin stammered.  
  
"No buts," Fujin shook her head. A few drops of tears appeared under her eyelids as the both of them embraced each other passionately under the setting sun.  
  
"Hey why don't we do this at the beach, ya know?" Raijin suggested. "It'll still be a young night."  
  
Fujin gently released herself from Raijin's clutches and crept to his back, giving him a slap on his broad leathery back.  
  
"RUN!"  
  
Xu stared at the last orange capsule rotating between her fingers as she sat down on the bedside lonely.   
  
"Only one left," she thought to herself. "It's hard to believe."  
  
She turned to the glass of clear water on the bedside table. She picked up the glass, examining the clarity of the liquid, and then gulped it all down her throat. She placed the empty glass gently back on the table and kept the pill in a small ziplock bag in her pocket.  
  
"Taken your medication already?" Quistis said emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body and her damp blonde hair tumbling down to her shoulders. Xu curved her lips into a smile with her spirit brightened a little. She thoughtfully wanted a soak in a warm bathtub after a hard day's work.  
  
After doing a few articles of paperwork, Timber TV game-show producer Alex Axel emerged from the SUV studio into a dun, noisome alley. He surfaced from the alley clad in dull ragged clothes with a scarf and a felt hat, trudging along a street belittled by tall unprecedented skyscrapers and blue elevated highways of Esthar City. There was no moonlight while scanty stars were dim flickering weakly in the pitch-black darkness, but the sprawling city districts illuminated the whole continent like a chandelier. Pedestrians avoided the shabby stranger with a murmur amongst themselves. Unfriendliness was spelled on each block. It was truly a case of xenophobia notorious among the Estharians, which was the perfect quality for a good challenge in the producer's mind of the coming episode.  
  
"Let's see what this town has to offer."   
  
***  
  
Daniel and Rachel picked up their backpacks and equipment as soon as they left their room. They came across small yellow light bulbs lighting up a sandy path under the complete darkness. The rustling sounds of coconut trees swaying to the bellowing wind added to the frigidity of the night.  
  
"There are no stars today," Rachel muttered as she followed the trail of illuminating light bulbs. "Really creepy."  
  
"There's our clue box," Daniel said in a cheery voice hurdling towards the wooden structure parked beside the beach, with seawater washing its base due to the high tide. The glowing screen on Daniel's wristwatch clearly displayed 0248 hours.  
  
"Alright," Daniel sighed and began to rip his envelope open, while Rachel flashed a flashlight at his hands. "Get yourselves to the rocks of Baclava Atoll by boat. Pier only opens at 5 a.m. You've got 500G for this leg of the race." Daniel finished shuffling the 100 gil bank notes enclosed in the envelope.   
  
"Okay let's start walking to the pier before Squall and Rinoa come here," Rachel suggested while Daniel folded the clue and stuck it into his backpack. He handed a green paper with the Fast Forward instructions to Rachel.  
  
"Start your morning at a diner called 'Whippersnappers' in Fishermans Horizon. Serve 15 patrons to get the pass. Operation hours: 7.30 a.m. - 3.00 p.m."  
  
Daniel spread out his polyester blanket beneath the canopy of palm trees, who soon was found lying on the pavement with Rachel beside him wrapped in a blanket half asleep. Forty minutes later, two familiar figures annoyingly emerged from the darkness and stood beneath a lamppost next to the couple. Daniel yawned with his eyes barely open to see Squall and Rinoa sitting beside him laying their backpacks and equipment on the ground.  
  
"Hey Squall my man," Daniel groggily greeted giving Squall a firm handshake. Rachel motioned a little, as she was disturbed from her sleep. "Go back to sleep Rachel."  
  
"Honey," Rinoa pleaded. "Can you help me unroll my sleeping bag?"  
  
"Sure dear," Squall picked up the bundled sleeping bag and started to roll it out on the pavement for his girlfriend. He then lied on the turf beside Rinoa gazing at the starless sky.  
  
"Are you going to use the Fast Forward?" Daniel asked.  
  
"Why should we?" Squall replied coldly. "We want to keep it for later."  
  
"Good," Daniel said nothing more, turning to his favourite side and continued his sleep.  
  
"Squall, can you stop talking to yourself?" Rinoa asked as her body tossed and turned a little. "I'm trying to get some shuteye. Just go to sleep."  
  
Squall did as told by Rinoa and turned to his side with his back facing Rinoa's. The air was chilling to the bone added to the whistling breeze but Squall was able to withstand the cold without a blanket. Weariness flooded his mind as his eyes slowly shut itself into a light sleep.  
  
***  
  
It was six in the morning at Esthar Airstation. Cid Kramer along with a team of cameramen and studio workers alighted from their flight and walked down the corridor. At the end of the corridor was an almost empty arrival hall except for the presence of two well-known Estharian figures waiting for him.  
  
"Uncle Cid!" Ellone greeted as she approached Cid Kramer with a warm hug. Behind her was Laguna Loire, President of Esthar standing stoically in the background. His nobility was degraded into his humble and down-to-earth nature with the arrival of his old friend.  
  
"So Mr. Cid, is Squall coming to Esthar?" he questioned unable to control his nervousness. "And can I know who else are coming?"  
  
"Yes I'm glad Squall made it this far. He shows outstanding results," Cid answered calmly causing Laguna to jump in delight. "Seifer and his henchman and henchwoman are one of them unfortunately."  
  
"The son of a bitch!" he fumed with his teeth clench and his hand balled into a tight fist.   
  
"Oh dear, sorry for my blasphemy," Laguna apologised after releasing his anger and started to sound thoughtful, hugging himself. "Now I can see my boy again."  
  
"We better hurry up or else the paparazzi will come here and tear the place down," Laguna said seriously, grabbing onto Ellone's hand dashed to the exit with Cid and the others before other people arrive. A black limousine with its driver was found parked outside the airport. Immediately, Laguna, Ellone and Cid squeezed themselves into the limo. The wheels of the limo were then folded into a vertical position and hovered a few inches above the road.   
  
"Now go!" Laguna arched forward to order the driver. After the vehicle had left the scene, the President sat back on his seat gasping and sweating. He then turned his attention to Cid, who was sitting across him with Ellone in between. "Is there anyway to turn my place into one of the destinations?" he asked. "I really want to see Squall and his friends again."  
  
"I wished I could but it's beyond my power," Cid answered, looking out the window to see the sun rising from the tall buildings. A white van was soon seen tailing the limo from behind. "It looks like company."  
  
Laguna then examined the shiny vehicle from the side mirror with his own eyes, widening in alarm.   
  
"PAPARAZZI!"  
  
Ellone nodded her head once and quickly pushed a pedal in front of her. A gun appeared from a slot below the trunk of the limo, aiming directly at the vehicle. The gun then catapulted a blast out green notes of gil, which stuck on the windscreen of the van, causing it to skid and halt at the middle of the road obstructing the traffic behind it.  
  
"The President's giving away money!" a motorist exclaimed, halting its car beside the curb to join in the crowd of other motorists running amok to the money-laded vehicle.  
  
"There's more where that came from," Laguna joked and soon chuckled with Cid all the way.  
  
***  
  
Squall woke up to the sound of a motor humming in the distance. Dawn was breaking with the sky and clouds brightening up and the weather pleasantly cool. Squall rose up to half his body and shook Rinoa's body.  
  
"The sun's still not out yet daddy," Rinoa murmured turning her body to her side, reluctant to wake up from her dream. Daniel and Rachel were soon aroused from their sleep and rose up to their feet doing a little stretching. Rinoa followed to wake up a few minutes later. She recovered her senses to see orange linings in the sky and Squall standing in front of her with his head bowed down, carrying two cans of warm coffee in one hand.  
  
"Good morning princess."  
  
Squall and Rinoa got on a water taxi along with their backpacks. Not far from them were Daniel and Rachel in their water taxi heading to Fishermans Horizon.  
  
"Take us to Baclava Atoll," Squall ordered.   
  
The driver then started the engine, which sputtered as the boat was driven southwest to Centra Continent. Small outcroppings of volcanic rock came into view with the boat weaving deftly past them.  
  
Squall wrapped his arms around Rinoa, gazing at the rugged seas while the windiness swept past his hair and clothes.  
  
"Isn't this a wonderful sight?" Rinoa said in admiration with her hands clutching on Squall's arm and her head resting on his chest. She let out a sigh and her lips curved up into a smile. "Let's come here again for our honeymoon when all of this was over."  
  
Daniel and Rachel hopped back on the piers branching out from the main island. The couple walked along the filthy streets, littered with empty wrappers, torn flyers, shattered glass and fish slime.  
  
"It's so dirty here," Rachel commented. "I wonder who does the maintenance."  
  
"The seagulls of course!" Daniel joked as he chased of the flock of seagulls blocking the pavement, feeding on leftover food residue.  
  
The Trepies soon arrived at a quayside restaurant with 'Whippersnappers' in a thick, bright green font emblazoned on the signboard above the building. They were welcomed with the alluring aroma of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread.  
  
"Excuse me," Daniel said sitting in front of the counter. "We're here for the Fast Forward."  
  
"Come on in," a man with a moustache clad in white chef garment replied and opened the flap at the end of the counter allowing Daniel and Rachel to enter the kitchen. As soon as Daniel finished dressing himself with an apron, the customers were already sitting in their tables.  
  
"May I take your order sir?" Rachel said as confidently as she could, with a pen in one hand and a notepad firmly on her palm.  
  
"I want a dory platter, two pieces of greased rye and the regular brew," the scruffy-looking male customer in a long trench coat replied with a local slang.  
  
"Err... can you kindly please repeat what you ordered?" Rachel said scribbling on her notepad.  
  
"Dory platter, two pieces of greased rye and a cup of regular brew," he raised his voice and repeated. "You're new here, aren't ya. Ya can't fool me with that uniform you're wearing."  
  
"Alright, thanks." Rachel tore one page and tabbed a carbon copy on the man's table. She blasted into the kitchen and pinned the order on a rack.  
  
"One dory platter, two pieces of greased rye and a cup of regular brew for table 2!" she shouted.  
  
Daniel slid the piece of paper towards him and read it in puzzlement.  
  
"What's a dory platter?"  
  
***  
  
The sky was now perfectly illuminated, with the clouds breaking away to the coming of a bright sun, displaying its dizzying golden complexion.  
  
Squall and Rinoa could see the rocky inlets of Centra Continent from afar. Ahead of them was a string of rocky miniature islands, which were the remains of an extinct volcano, now known as Baclava Atoll.  
  
"Over there!" Rinoa pointed to one of the islands with a clue box fitted between the black cindery rocks. The couple soon disembarked from the boat, with the sound of pebbles and ashes crushed beneath their feet as they treaded to the box. Squall opened the flap and took out a red envelope.  
  
"Detour: Sink or Swim.  
  
Sink - Get to Tokolos Sound and dive into the depths of the ocean. Retrieve one of the chests in an undersea cavern 1000 meters below sea level.  
  
Swim - Get to Baclava Reef and snorkel around 300 square feet of reef to find hidden envelopes."  
  
Rinoa could see a large area of shoal at the middle of the Centran Sea, which looked like a white patch from afar. The couple then carefully got back to their transport about to embark.  
  
"Take us to Baclava Reef!" she ordered.  
  
The water taxi took them to a boat floating above the reef after about fifty minutes treading through the calm waters. Rinoa paid the driver and climbed up to the boat, which had a glass surface at the center of the floor where she could see green seaweed and brushy corals waving and the colorful and myriad sea life. Rinoa gazed lovingly at the angelfish swimming below the boat. On the other hand, Squall took off his black T but his trunks, wearing a pair of goggles around his forehead and fitting the snorkel into his mouth as he dived into the ocean to meet the white coral reef in person.  
  
"Careful out there!" Rinoa clamored. She then bent down to reach her backpack and fished out a blue swimsuit.  
  
A school of Centran anchovies swam by, shining like a diamond bracelet in front of Squall. He looked down to the large cluster of coral below him shone by beams of sunlight, chasing out the inhabitants of a small burrow. He wiggled his fingers to find nothing as he dug his hand into the burrow. Squall rose up to the surface for air with Rinoa swimming towards him.  
  
"I'll go look over there," she popped out her snorkel and said. Rinoa paddled to the other side of the reef not too far away from her boyfriend, searching every nook and cranny along the way but to no avail. After the first half-hour she found her fingers wrinkled as she emerged to the surface while Squall was still underwater. The task seemed burdening with the weather getting hotter and the water getting warmer as the sun awakened in its full glory.  
  
"It seems endless but I won't give up!" she told herself, diving back into the water. She met a band of corals clustered singly with anemones growing on them which tickled Rinoa's skin. On one piece of coral, a red glossy material jutted from a small hole. Rinoa eyed at it delightfully, approached the coral and pulled out the envelope immediately.  
  
"Squall I got it!" she yelled, waving the wet envelope. The couple swam back to the boat, dripping wet as they climbed to the deck. It was refreshing to have a fresh towel wrapped around their bodies, while removing every bit of fungus and seaweed stuck on their arms and legs. Squall grew impatient and ripped the envelope open without Rinoa noticing.   
  
"For crying out loud!" Squall uttered a cry as she looked at Rinoa, drying her wet hair with wide eyes. He did not want to continue reading the clue for her and passed it to Rinoa.  
  
"What's wrong Squall?" Rinoa asked and read the wet paper (at least the ink did not run) with an ecstatic gasp. "We're going to Esthar!"  
  
Squall threw the towel on the floor and tilted his head upwards, slapping his forehead in agony.  
  
"I hope I don't meet my dad."  
  
***  
  
Daniel gingerly slid out a prawn and onion omelet onto a plate from the hot skillet. The dish was then placed on a tray along with a hot bun.  
  
"Here's your 'Nautilus' Roe'", Rachel smiled as she placed the dish presentably on the counter. She then hurdled to man in a white shirt, carrying a camera on his shoulder.  
  
"Welcome to Whippersnappers. May I take your order sir?" she cooed. Her smile drooped as the muscles around her cheek started to weary.  
  
"Uh," the cameraman scratched his head and browsed at the menu in front of him. "I'll have the err... what the heck. I'll have the Foie Gras Jubilee and a cup black coffee." He finished after being frustrated with the cryptic entrees in the menu. "Jeez, this diner's killing me."  
  
"Uh are you sure about that?" she said with the pen still pressing on the empty notepad. "I don't think this guy's from here, like me."  
  
"I said I wanted the house special and a cup of black coffee," he repeated in a clearer voice. "Aren't you serious enough to win one mil... oops... never mind."  
  
Rachel looked at the cameraman in the eye, as if she was trying to say, "What did you say?"  
  
"By the way," the man drew Rachel's attention and positioned the camera lens right in front of her face. "Say cheese."  
  
Rachel grinned weakly a little and dropped her lips back into a straight line, turning away from the camera and heading into the kitchen.  
  
"I better go get some close-up shots on the team," he thought as he stood up from his seat and marked it by putting his camera bag on the round seat. He ignored the 'Personnel Only' sign and went straight into the kitchen. "Mr. Axel will love this!"  
  
"Final order Daniel!" Rachel exclaimed and pinned the paper on the rack. She then rushed to the coffee maker.  
  
"One Special coming right up!" Daniel replied with a high voice.  
  
"Ah the Foie Gras Jubilee!" the head chef sighed dreamily, picturing his signature dish in his mind. "Come here boy and get the fish liver to make the sauce."  
  
The cameraman hid behind the food shelves spying on the activities happening around the kitchen. One on corner was a cook chopping up some vegetables coarsely and beside him was another cook filleting a piece of fish, which just arrived freshly from the market. At the far end was the head chef giving instructions to Daniel, who was sauteing the liver with seasoning until it melted into a crude paste.  
  
"Man," he complained and quickly pegged his nose with his fingers after whiffing a fishy smell coming from Daniel's skillet. "Whoever's gonna eat that is going to throw up."  
  
"Does anyone know where the man holding a video camera went?" Rachel's voice was heard, which was dampened by the cacophony of the kitchen.  
  
"I'm sorry!" the cameraman apologised as he was seen coming out of the washroom. "Phew, thank goodness the washroom's connected to the kitchen." He sighed as he settled down to the comforting warmth of coffee. Rachel then headed back to the kitchen and emerged a few minutes later, carrying a dish resembling paella laded with grey sauce. The cameraman gagged as the slimy texture of the rice dish was presented straightforwardly in front of him.  
  
"Here you go, your Foie Gras Jubilee," Rachel said masochistically tabbing the bill on the counter.  
  
"Here's your reward for serving fifteen satisfied customers," the head chef said with a smile as he drew out a red envelope from his suit and handed it to the team who were undressing their uniforms. Rachel emerged from the kitchen in her street clothes to check on the cameraman.  
  
"Don't stare at me," the man faced Rachel with puffy cheeks, trying to look like he was gorging the dish happily. "It's good stuff ya know."   
  
After Rachel was out of sight, his face turned blue and urgently rushed to the washroom. Daniel and Rachel surfaced from the hectic diner to experience the scene of a typical busy morning on the streets of the island-city. Daniel leaped into the air and clicked his heels with delight as he and his partner read the clue while walking down the street together.  
  
"Congratulations you earned the Fast Forward pass." Rachel's tone started to heighten as she continued to the next line. "Fly to Esthar City and proceed to the pit stop, the Dolletian Gardens in President's Park!"   
  
***  
  
Rinoa and Squall, and Rachel and Daniel were well on their way back to the Galbadian mainland. They could choose either one of the three major airports to get to their next destination - Deling City Airport, Timber's Redwood Airport or Jean Pierrot Airport in Dollet.  
  
Meanwhile, Seifer and Selphie disembarked on one of the rocks of Baclava Atoll. Tears started to well in Selphie's eyes filled with terror after reading the clue.  
  
"I don't want to swim!" she quavered.  
  
"Okay," Seifer said and sat on the rock to rest, thinking for awhile. "I want to try diving!"  
  
The water taxi took Seifer and Selphie to the rugged coastline of Centra Continent. It was a desolate, dreary and dangerous wasteland out there with weird monsters lurking among the shadows and mirages ready to strike and kill any unwary traveler. That was why the inhabitants (mostly aborigines but not many of them) dwelled at the coastline, where the vegetation was lusher, food was plentiful and more importantly the geographical structure acted like a barrier from the frequent attacks of wild monsters. The inlets had sharp rocks and tall cliffs, with waves pounding on them with a powerful sound. The couple now came across an excavation vessel floating in the serene atmosphere of the Tokolos Sound.  
  
The couple arrived on the boat and they were greeted reasonably by the crewmembers, mostly aboriginal and working as excavators digging for undersea treasures and artifacts left by the pirates. After a few words on safety measure, Seifer fitted into a sleek black diving suit, which soon felt heavy after putting on the diver's belt and tank.  
  
"My girlfriend can't swim, so can she stay and wait for me?" he asked and was approved.  
  
Selphie loomed down to see Seifer and two other divers sinking and disappearing into the murky water. Her hope was that Seifer would come back safe and unscathed.  
  
"Are there sharks in the water?" she asked full of concern.  
  
The divers were now closer and closer to the darkness as they swam deeper into the depths of the ocean. There were not many fishes or other sea creatures but the seasoned divers hoped that they do not meet a hostile looking octopus whipping its tentacles. Seifer's ears started to ache with the increasing pressure. His lungs felt hot as he could only breathe limited amounts of stale oxygen. Soon, the three divers fired their waterproof torches and swam to the yellow area in front of them. It was an excavated undersea cavern, with every single gold coin looted. Nevertheless, what was lying on the bed of the cove was the envelope Seifer wanted to look for. Seifer and the other divers swam back to the boat. Selphie was a relieved to see her boyfriend after a few minutes, which felt like an eternity to her. Seifer tilted his head from left to right, pouring out the water collected in his ears, while Selphie greedily opened the envelope and gazed back at Seifer with admiration.  
  
"We're going to Esthar honey!" she cried, hugging Seifer in his wet and rubbery diving suit affectionately. "It's been a long time I've seen Sir Laguna!"  
  
"He's a sorry excuse for a president," Seifer muttered sardonically.  
  
"What did you say?" Selphie said feeling a little enraged. Seifer sighed and touched her lips with his fingers, and Selphie did not doubt him anymore. He took the clue from Selphie and read it thoroughly.  
  
"You can say goodbye to FH and now say hello to Esthar! Fly to Esthar City and once you land, get yourselves to the route marker at Times Plaza."  
  
***  
  
Seifer slouched on the bench, waiting impatiently for the ferry.   
  
"Why don't the mayor build an airport instead of this useless underground port?" he thought sarcastically. Selphie on the other hand danced and skipped around the platform carrying the clue in the air childishly in rapture.  
  
"I can't wait to meet Sir Laguna again!" she told Seifer in a cheery voice. "Do you know I have an enlarged photo of Laguna in his presidential uniform just waiting to be autographed?"  
  
Quistis and Xu bought their tickets and browsed the navy museum before they enter the departure hall. Once they got through the gate, a sharp sound rang in the air and they immediately broke through the crowd to see Selphie kneeling on the floor weeping with tears dripping on the ground, while Seifer bent down to her trying to calm her down.  
  
"You're heartless and cruel!" she sobbed and stood up to her feet, revealing the large red mark on her right cheek. "I HATE YOU!" she bellowed and stormed off to the restroom, locking up herself in the toilet.  
  
"What happened Seifer?" Quistis asked as she took over Selphie's place. Seifer was still silent and dumbfounded. "What made you hurt her feelings?"  
  
It was normal for an instructor to guide and care for their students when they were in a tough situation like what had happened between Seifer and Selphie, the most unlikely couple in the race. Xu just smiled, giving Seifer a pat on the back to mitigate his upset. Her action however had a concealed sneaky demeanor.  
  
***  
  
"I'm having a bad feeling Squall," Rinoa said in uncertainty, sitting beside the window of a taxi looking at a white airplane soaring above them as they headed for Redwood Airport. "I think Seifer just vented his anger on Selphie. And now the team is in shambles."  
  
"No surprise," Squall said to himself thoughtlessly, as if he did not care even less for the couple. "I knew there's something the both of them do not agree mutually."  
  
The airport was busy and hectic, with the cacophony of zooming noises from the planes as they land or leave the runway, added to the clicking of footsteps and chattering of people crowding the vicinity. Squall browsed through the ticket counters of different airline services while pushing a trolley with their backpacks. Rinoa on the other hand scanned the flight schedule on a large analogue signboard above her, where the letters rolled forming into a new destination and flight number. There were a few direct flights to Esthar, but to her dismay they were all fully vacant when Squall broke the bad news.  
  
"I'm sorry, all our flights are fully booked" was the only response mundanely conveyed by every ticket counter.  
  
"I got an idea," Rinoa sparked. The couple boarded an elevator to the second floor, where the airline offices were located. Rinoa chose to meet with the Deling Airlines office first, since her dad sponsored the airlines.  
  
"May we come in?" she asked politely. The couple walked silently through the door to find a well-organised workplace with people doing their paperwork. She sat neatly in front of the desk of a frazzled-looking ticket salesgirl.  
  
"We want two economy flights to Esthar City leaving at the nearest time possible," she asked.  
  
The girl began inputting information into her computer, tugging her hair and mumbling profanity. In the end she looked up to Rinoa with a shake of the head.  
  
"I'm sorry. All the flights to Esthar today are full," she told.  
  
"Yes I know. Can you check for connection flight?"  
  
The girl fogged her spectacles, sighing deeply as she returned to her typing.  
  
"There are two flights connecting Deling City to Esthar at two-thirty and six-thirty."  
  
"Oh great!" she cheered stretching her arms high into the air. "We want the two-thirty flight please."  
  
"I'm sorry miss but the seats are on standby."  
  
Rinoa pounded her fist on the table angrily and enraged, causing the girl to jerk backwards in surprise.  
  
"Don't you know who you're messing with, girl?" she yelled pointing her finger at the girl who was starting to feel threatened. "My dad sponsored this goddamn airline!"  
  
"You mean your dad's President Caraway?" the girl asked in a high tone with her eyes wide open ready to laugh hysterically. "If you're Miss Caraway then why aren't you on a private jet?"  
  
"Well do I look like her?" Rinoa argued.  
  
"Of course you do!" she replied and still giggling. "I bet you'll win a celebrity look-alike contest!"  
  
"Let's go look for another airline," Squall said, trying to soothe Rinoa's anger, as she was still fuming at the office workers laughing together at her.  
  
"I hope your goddamn company will be in the red!" she bellowed as Squall dragged her away from the office.  
  
***  
  
Raijin stripped down to his swimming trunks and dived into the water with a massive splash. He paddled around the boat happily, as it was a long time he soaked himself in the sea.  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin hissed as she looked down at Raijin from the body in her black swimsuit. "LOOK FOR THE CLUE!"  
  
Raijin popped the mouthpiece of the snorkel into his mouth and immersed himself into the water. It was a pretty sight with colorful fish dancing around the chalky white coral. Below him lying lazily on the reef was a lonely sea urchin.  
  
"Hey hey, what have we got here?" he thought as he curiously touched the black thorn of the urchin. Consequently, pain raced down to his whole right hand. He rose to the surface and floated on the water, sucking his finger.   
  
"I can't feel my hand!" he exclaimed.  
  
***  
  
"Seifer, aren't you going to reconcile with Selphie?" Quistis advised Seifer who was leaning his back against the wall. There was only a few minutes left before the ferry arrived.  
  
"It's no use," Xu said pessimistically, walking around the platform aimless in small steps. "I realised that despite Cid's view on the competition, it's not about strengthening camaraderie and unity between the different castes of Garden. It's a heinous and deceitful race. We compare our skills and abilities to see who's better at outplaying each other. It's the money that drives us," she paused and turned to Quistis and Seifer looking prominent. "But then again, Cid was right on one aspect; teamwork is in utmost importance." She raised her arm and pointed her finger directly at Seifer. "That's where you lack Seifer Almasy. You really disappoint me."  
  
The women in the ladies startled at the forthcoming of a sinister-looking man clad in a sleeveless tee, baring the cross-shaped tattoo on his arm. Seifer approached the door that his instinct had strong feelings on. He knocked the door a few times, followed by the wail of a young woman.  
  
"Stop bothering me you meanie!" Selphie yelled as she locked herself securely in the lavatory, where her voice echoed throughout the cubicle. Tears started to slide down her cheeks as she began to snivel.  
  
"Look I know I've been an asshole just now," Seifer said with honesty and was not bothered about the other women staring curiously at him. He gulped and slowly opened his mouth to convey the most meaningful phrase he rarely said. "I'm sorry."  
  
A creak of the door was sounded as Selphie unlocked the door to see Seifer's face again, reaching out her hand with the intention to embrace her boyfriend. Seifer felt forgiveness for the first time. It was beyond his imagination, which was formerly dimmed with torment, ego and rapaciousness.  
  
Quistis was a little worried when the ferry was about to embark. She walked to the bow of the ship to gaze at the harbour again.  
  
"Give him some time," Xu said softly, laying her hand on Quistis' shoulder. "I don't think they'll make it."  
  
Ironically, two expected figures were soon seen emerging from the ladies' restroom. Seifer and Selphie slung their backpacks and quickly dashed for the ferry. They made it just before the sailor unhooked the ferry from the dock. The couple sat together, panting for breath and hydrating themselves by drinking more water. It was a sign of total relief and Quistis was glad to see the both of them as the unlikely couple again.  
  
***  
  
"Full again?" Rachel said raising her voice and displacing the receiver away from her ear. "Go to hell!" she shouted directly at the receiver and slammed it hardly on its holder. She leaned her back on the wall and slithered down into a lazy sitting position. She looked at the time flashing in front of her, which displayed '1243 hours DST (Dollet Standard Time)'.  
  
Daniel was soon seen emerging from the crowd and pushing the trolley. He approached his downed partner with a lopsided smile.  
  
"We've got standby tickets for a one-thirty flight," he informed, crossing his fingers tightly.  
  
Daniel rubbed his thumbs as he waited nervously for their tickets. Rachel slouched on the vinyl seat, feeling enormously weary and sleepy.  
  
"It's hopeless Dan," she whined, covering her forehead with a towel.  
  
"Is there a Mr. Carzo?" a woman's voice exclaimed after an hour. Daniel stood up from his seat excitedly and slalomed through the queue towards the Dollet Air counter.  
  
"Here are your tickets. Just head to Platform 3C," the wizened and affable ticket woman smiled passing two newly printed plane tickets and boarding passes to Daniel. "Congratulations and Godspeed," she said giving Daniel a peck on the cheek.  
  
Rachel's spirit was immediately uplifted when Daniel came to her clicking his heels like a happy lark. She was eager to see her luggage wrapped in plastic and whisked away by the conveyor belt. Soon the couple was whisked away in the coach of a Boeing. It was shabby but at least the seats were downright comfortable.  
  
"It feels so good!" Rachel remarked rubbed her back on the seat as she buckled her seatbelt. The plane was ready for liftoff.   
  
***  
  
Rinoa bit her fingernails nervously as she flipped through the pages of a woman's magazine while waiting for a response by the Timber Air ticketing agency. The neatly dressed blonde woman stopped typing and turned to look at the pessimistic faces with a frown.  
  
"I'm sorry, all our flights are fully booked," she informed.  
  
"Can you please check again?" Squall pleaded. "It's a desperate life-and-death situation."  
  
The woman turned back to the computer screen and browsed through the flight list even deeper. Rinoa slanted her body towards Squall and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"It's over!" she whined.  
  
A slight trace of hope sparkled in the woman's eyes thereafter. Her lips soon curved up into a pleasant smile.   
  
"You're in luck," she exclaimed. "We have two free seats for the two o'clock flight."  
  
Rinoa let out a sigh of relief and shook the woman's hand gratefully. Immediately, the agency issued the tickets causing the couple to burst into hopefulness.  
  
The plane took off in splendor, soaring like an eagle in the sky. The couple could see a miniature Timber as they looked down their window. The couple lifted their glass of orange juice in unison and made a toast.  
  
"To the race," Rinoa said with a giggle after regaining her winning smile finally.  
  
***  
  
"The airport!" Selphie cheered as she popped her head out of the window to gaze upon the large glass building with her hair fluttering to the wind. Seifer quickly pulled her back into the seat as a cargo truck sped past the taxi.  
  
"Fuck all the truck drivers," the cabdriver condemned, flicking a glowing cigarette by the window. "They're only showoffs!"  
  
A cooling blast of air welcomed the couple as they gingerly entered Redwood Airport. Quistis and Xu were only a few minutes away. The couple could see them alighting from their taxi, bringing out their heavy backpacks from the trunk. The four of them soon went to all directions. Xu jostled to the phone booth and flashed out her telephone card, while Quistis inspected the counters. Seifer and Selphie were together pushing the trolley together while browsing through the row of ticket counters.  
  
"Any other flights going to Esthar?" Xu asked furiously holding her pen and notepad in one hand. "Any connection flights? No I only want economy!" Xu puffed her cheeks and slammed the receiver angrily. She picked it up again, pressing her finger on a page of a phone book and dialed the number of another airline.  
  
"Hello AeroEsthar? I would like two economy flight tickets to Esthar... I'm now in Timber... Hold on please," Xu clasped the receiver between her head and her shoulder and started writing information. A smile was traced on her lips. "4.45 p.m., counter 6, gotcha... My name is Xu Masao and my partner's Quistis Trepe. That's T-R-E-P-E... Oh thank you very much sir."  
  
Xu placed the receiver lightly and repositioned her flat-cap. She then set out to look for Quistis.  
  
"QUISTIS, WHERE ARE YOU?" she hollered.  
  
"I'm sorry ma'am. Our flights are fully booked," the counterman apologised and resumed his work. Quistis left the counter infuriated and frustrated. She then bided by sitting on the sofa with her head between her arms.  
  
"Quistis!" she heard a voice and stood up, spinning around until she saw Xu running towards her impatiently.  
  
"Thank goodness I've found you!" Xu panted wiping off perspiration from her forehead. "Phew, this airport sure is big!"  
  
"What happened?" Quistis asked as if she had no clue. Quistis was startled when Xu suddenly grabbed her hand and took her back to the row of counters. The two girls stumbled upon Counter 6 and queued.  
  
"We'd like to retrieve our tickets," Xu said and indicated her name flashing on the computer screen. Without hesitation, the counter issued their tickets and boarding passes.  
  
"Nice job girl," Quistis cheered, giving Xu a high-five.  
  
Seifer and Selphie had already bought their tickets just before the team of instructors did. The couple did not believe their eyes and ears when Quistis and Xu possess a more superior flight than theirs. Selphie was disappointed when she peered at her Balamb-bound five o'clock economy ticket.  
  
"Are there more of these tickets?" Seifer asked and was replied with a definite shake of the head.  
  
"It's too bad. We're really sorry," Quistis said apologetically, which sounded like sarcasm to Seifer. Xu began pushing the trolley as the clocked chimed half-past six in the evening. "See you in Esthar," Quistis blew a kiss at Seifer as she and her partner walked away hurriedly.  
  
Seifer and Selphie sat on their seats gloomily. Their flight tickets to Esthar (departing from Balamb) were still on standby and they certainly did not want to wish for the worse.  
  
"Cheer up honey," Selphie said and patted on Seifer's shoulder full with optimism. "I'm sure we'll make it."  
  
The airplane rose into the air and Selphie could see the world below her shrinking into sprawling dollhouses, as they were on their way to connect their flight in Balamb.  
  
***  
  
"I know it's a bigger airport," Raijin said, staring at the wide-open spaces of the interior in Deling City Airport. "But where are the flights?"  
  
"FOOL!" Fujin irately barked kicking Raijin on the knee and tugged her hair looking frazzled. She crossed her arms firmly and ordered Raijin to gather more information. Fujin leaned her back on the wall beside the phone booth, feeling really tired. "FATIGUED."  
  
"FUJIN!!" Raijin's loud and bold voice rang in the air when he dashed towards Fujin excitedly.  
  
"WHAT?" she barked at Raijin, bending down panting for breath.  
  
"I found our flight!" he exclaimed.  
  
It was seven in the evening and the only 'Deling City - Esthar' flight of the day was teeming with passengers. The couple displayed their tickets to the stewardess as they stepped into the coach.  
  
"This way!" the stewardess in pink uniform said and rushed them into a coach where passengers savoured the luxurious food and state-of-the-art facilities.  
  
"This has to be a mistake!" Raijin yelped. "This doesn't like the economy class coach, ya know!"  
  
"Just take the seat you lousy meathead," she fumed and pushed the duo into their seats. "Enjoy your flight and don't forget to buckle your seatbelts," the stewardess smiled affably and walked away busily. The duo could feel the plane lifting and in a few minutes, foggy clouds inundated the scenery.  
  
"Would you like to have some trademark wine?" a steward offered holding a bottle of clear white wine. In front of him was a cart of parfaits and other drinks.  
  
"No thanks," Raijin obliged. "We want beer please."  
  
Fujin and Raijin held onto the cold surface of the beer can, sipping the warm refreshing drink. The duo was still puzzled about the current situation. Was it a mistake or were they just plain lucky to be in business class.  
  
"Whatever it is, I like it here, ya know," Raijin said groggily as he was lulled into a deep sleep.  
  
Her seat was so soft and comfortable that Fujin felt a hint of sleepiness in her mind. She reclined her chair and slowly closed her eyes.  
  
"FATIGUED..." she purred before she finally rested for the day.  
  
***  
  
Tension was building up as Seifer and Selphie arrived at Little Continent Airport in Balamb. The interior of the airport was influenced by the architecture in Balamb and a little from Garden, proven by the shell-like carvings on the corners of the ceiling. The people backed away as the couple dashed along the walkway. They seemed like in a hurry, and they had a good reason for it.  
  
Their flight was now parked on the part of the runway connected to Platform 4B. Seifer rudely shoved away the people queuing to retrieve their tickets from the counter at the platform.  
  
"Sir you are not allowed to cut queue," the girl informed the blonde man pressing his palms on the counter as he panted for breath. "Can you kindly please go to the back of the queue like a Good Samaritan?"  
  
"Ma'am you have to understand," Seifer insisted in a stammering voice. "It's a life-and-death situation!"  
  
"What's going on here?" a man in a business suit appeared from the office and approached the girl in front of the counter.  
  
"Sir this guy cut the queue," she stood up and explained.  
  
"Sir I just want the tickets for the eight o'clock flight to Esthar," Seifer interrupted. "It's an emergency!"  
  
"I'm sorry but it's too late," the man said looking at the clock above him displaying 1957 hours BST (Balamb Standard Time). "We don't allow other passengers the board the flight within five minutes before the plane embarks."  
  
"I told you it's an emergency!" Seifer yelled. Out of desperation, he tugged the man's collar and shook him violently. The girl then sounded the alarm and immediately two security guards came to apprehend the frantic-looking man.  
  
"It's really important! I beg you!" he pleaded as he was carried away by the security. The man brushed and ruffled his collar giving Seifer a strict look.  
  
"The plane..." Selphie muttered as she stared blankly at the plane from the glass window. "It's moving away!" Selphie wailed as she helplessly looking at the plane motioning slowly, preparing for takeoff. The security guards relinquished their grip on the man. Seifer hurdled to Selphie's side to see the plane lifted the runway. The tires beneath the plane were retracted as it soared into the night sky. Selphie fell to her knees and started to cry.  
  
"Don't worry," Seifer rubbed Selphie's back with his hand, trying his best to alleviate the anguish. "There's still another flight an hour from now."  
  
"We're doomed!" she whined as she stared at the ceiling blankly with teardrops around her eyes. She then turned to Seifer and shook his arms violently. "I don't want to be last!"  
  
***  
  
The clock tower of the Imperial Library chimed as the hour aged into noonday. Esthar was a city with a mad proliferation of skyscrapers - each new one overpowering the older buildings, a proof of the existence of that craze to defeat the tallest. Elevated highways sprawled across the city, covering the shady old pavements, streets and gardens, which had existed since the humbling founding of what was now a futuristic megalopolis. Despite the city's glory, its citizens were still defending sequestration. The scars of war were not forgotten on everyone's expression. The aftermath of the war caused the city to close its doors, disconnecting all contact with the outside world although it was a period of allayment.  
  
Esthar's new ruler, Laguna Loire, decided to open Esthar's doors to the outside world by shutting down the barrier around the continent, an action ridiculed by the local populace. Now everyone can see Esthar illuminating under the night sky and its fascinating tall buildings soaring towards the clouds. A lot had been done to cater the millions of tourists flocking into Esthar to soak in the hustle and bustle in its purest form.  
  
It was another busy day at the newly relocated Esthar Airstation. The Trepies, Daniel and Rachel, alighted from their flight with gnarled and beaten faces. They were relieved when they inhaled fresh air after being cooped up in a stuffy space for a long time.  
  
"I can't believe we're in Esthar!" Daniel said with a yawning voice as the couple sauntered along the walkway. The scenery outside the window seemed alien to them. It was sure going to be an exciting first-time visit to Esthar for the Trepies.  
  
"It is different here, isn't it," Rachel commented, examining the people around them dressed differently than their usual attire. It was fresh experience, but she felt a deep hollowness since she stepped with her first footstep into the building. "Why do the locals seem to avoid us?"  
  
"It's called xenophobia," Rachel and Daniel turned around to see a man clad in a business suit, holding a black leather briefcase. "It has been the fear of many for more than a hundred years," he added.  
  
"Do you know the quickest way to get to the Dolletian Gardens?" Daniel asked, assuming that the businessman had been traveling to Esthar quite often.  
  
"You can take the subway," the businessman replied. "And I don't suggest taking a taxi. Honestly, taxi drivers are the worst. I can take you to the Gardens if you like."  
  
"Wow thank you mister," Rachel cheered gratefully.  
  
Squall and Rinoa were next to disembark from their flight. The cityscape across them was discernable - it was definitely like the scenery in a postcard. It had been almost two years since Squall visited the city. To Rinoa however, it was a good chance get an in-depth revisit of the city. Besides, the first time she came here she was unconscious, not able to see much of the city she took this opportunity to learn about the megalopolis even deeper.  
  
"Don't ride the taxis," Squall warned, remembering a former heinous experience dealing with an unscrupulous Esthar taxi driver.  
  
"Why's that?" she asked queerly.  
  
"It came from a really bad experience," he said cynically. "I really hate it when a leader covers up the REAL problems of HIS country by building more skyscrapers and reeling in more tourists."  
  
"Aw... you're talking about your dad again aren't ya," Rinoa drawled. "I think your dad's not bad."  
  
"You don't understand!" he cried. "Whatever! What do I expect from a unworldly rich man's daughter?"  
  
"Hey watch your mouth buster," Rinoa bit her lip and pinched Squall's ear excruciatingly.  
  
"Well isn't this great?" Rinoa said in fascination commenting at the modern-look of interior of the airport, while Squall waited in front of the carousel for their luggage. "I must tell this to dad!"  
  
Once again, Rinoa was in awe at the intricate subway system beneath the airport. It was technology that was not found in any other city in the world and it could be said Esthar pioneered the technology to build something underground, just like the underground port back at Fishermans Horizon. The couple bought an Esthar city map and asked questions on how to get to their next destination. They were totally intimidated when they spectacled at the new generation of Estharians who were dressing up like themselves.  
  
"Hey man you're wearing the same thing like I am," a college student jumped in comparing his black sleeveless tee and jeans with Squall's.  
  
"Whatever," Squall emphasized coolly, who was queuing to use the ticket machine. "Do you know how to get to Times Plaza?"  
  
"Oh hitting the wildest part of town?" he replied excitedly. "Just get to GT Central and you won't miss its trademark once you're outside. Ciao!"  
  
***  
  
The paling view of the skyscrapers belittled the Trepies as they emerged from the subway station. It was breathtaking to see the skyscrapers soaring into the heavens and the highways and streets filled with hovering vehicles.  
  
"The Park is just a few blocks away," the businessman said and led them to the city parklands, which was the only part of the city unsheltered by the crisscrossing elevated highways. He then turned to look at his watch displaying 1.35 p.m. "This is as far as I can take you. Gotta run and good luck!"  
  
"We really appreciate your help!" Daniel yelled gratefully to the man hurrying away.  
  
Daniel and Rachel set foot for the first time on the well-known President's Park. There were people sauntering along the cobblestone pavements enjoying the green landscape of the park, but it was not to be for the team as they had a race to continue. The first thing they did was checking the layout of the park on a large signboard. The park was divided into different sections according to the parts of the city it covered. Rachel meticulously sketched the map in her notepad.  
  
Following the right direction, they now arrived at an outdoor garden of flowers and plants native to Dollet. At the middle of the Garden was a duplicate of the Nautilus Fountain, and standing in a porch near the fountain was Cid Kramer and Ellone Loire.  
  
"Welcome to Esthar!" Ellone greeted and shook hands with the Trepies, who were looking very confident in the outcome of the race.  
  
"Daniel and Rachel," Cid paused. "I bet you two already know the result. You're team number one!"  
  
***  
  
A river of pedestrians carried Squall and Rinoa away after they disembarked at the subway station. The couple brushed their clothes as they were brought into the open. It was a fascinating sight to be appreciated. Rinoa gazed dizzily to the top of a tall building, which was way taller than the apartments and skyscrapers in Deling City and Timber. The elevated highways provided a pleasant shade for the older and traditional concrete pavements and streets below, but the place was overcrowding with tourists and the local populace, making the area one of the busiest. Construction workers tore down the tubes where Squall and his friends once used the peculiar form of transportation to traverse from one area to another. It was deemed unpopular, unconventional and unsafe, but the sight and smells of the city was still notoriously unchanged.   
  
In front of them stood a tall building with a triangular base that acted like a divider, where the heavy traffic diverged to both sides of the building. Countless billboards were erected on every building and corner. A few blocks away from the left turnoff stood a cylinder-shaped glass building with a revolving roof at the top. Hanging proudly at the top of the building was a giant plasma screen that could be seen visibly from afar, displaying an advertisement of a teenage model promoting a certain brand of soft drink.  
  
"Welcome to the Golden Triangle," Squall introduced.  
  
"Wow it's more lively than Deling City!" Rinoa commented with a sparkle in her eyes as she gazed at every building above her in fascination. Along the streets were boutiques displaying their latest creations and shops selling electronic goods that had never been seen and imported to other cities. Rinoa was tempted to own at least one of the newest fashions she eyed adoringly at every store window but was strongly declined.  
  
"There's no time for shopping!" Squall exclaimed.  
  
"The fashion here are unlike the ones in Galbadia!" Rinoa sighed, tugging Squall's hand. "I wish I could come back here in the future."  
  
"That's Times Plaza," Squall explained pointing to the giant plasma screen in the horizon.  
  
"Wow it's pretty," Rinoa awed at the crystal complexion of the cylindrical building. "And that's a darn big TV screen."  
  
The clue box was standing on the middle of the broad stairway heading up to the entrance of Times Plaza. The couple was eager to see the challenge in store written on a piece of red paper in the long red envelope.  
  
"As I expected," Squall held the clue in his hand as he read it. "It's a Roadblock."  
  
"Who likes to take pictures?" Rinoa continued, reading the description on the front cover of the clue. "I wanna try!"  
  
"No way," Squall barked, thinking that Rinoa would wander around the city for hours browsing every single boutique. "I'll do it since I know the city better."  
  
"All right, all right," Rinoa gestured by waving her arms as if she was passing something to Squall. She then sat down on the stairs with other anonymous teenagers, muttering 'whatever, sucker' in her breath.  
  
"What did you say?" Squall asked as he picked up one of the five cameras provided on a red table beside the clue box. Rinoa shook her head gently, urging him to proceed with the task. She began to pop a really silly question.  
  
"Can I go in and do some window shopping?" she asked.  
  
"NO and double NO!" Squall insisted. "Stay there and don't move okay?"  
  
Squall walked down the stairs with the digital camera and Roadblock clue in one hand. He then tore of the front cover to reveal the set of instructions as he landed on the crowded pavements.   
  
"Use the provided digital camera to take five pictures of different places within the Golden Triangle area. The pictures must match the following.  
  
  
  
---------------- ---------------- -----------------  
  
|| | / / | |__| |\ ~\ /~ / \ | | \ | _____ | / |  
  
|| |/ / | __| | \ ~\/~ / OO \| |\ \ |_@=@_| / /|  
  
|| \ | | | |O \ ~~ / O/\O | | \ /| |\ / |  
  
|| |\ \ | --| |\O \ / O/ \O| | / / ^ \ \ |  
  
---------------- ---------------- -----------------  
  
---------------- ----------------  
  
|REMEMBERANCE ~| | / \ \ \|   
  
| | |_ | | \ |  
  
| 31.8.1985 ~| |/ _\ /__/ /|   
  
| | | / __/ |  
  
---------------- ----------------  
  
Once you've finished taking all five pictures, rejoin your partner and head to 'Snap Photos' in Times Plaza. Develop the pictures and if you got all pictures correct you'll receive your next clue. Good luck and happy hunting."  
  
***  
  
"Welcome to Esthar International Airstation. Please make sure that you have your personal documents ready and follow the rules and regulations. Anyone who fails to do so will be sent to federal court immediately. Have a nice day."  
  
Quistis and Xu grew impatient as they were undergoing a series of thorough scrutiny at the customs department. It was finally Quistis' turn to walk past the metal detector after having to face a horrendously long queue.  
  
"You're clear," the fierce and tough looking customs officer in blue uniform allowed Quistis and Xu to reclaim their luggage. The couple slung their backpacks and at once motioned into a frantic dash to the exit. It look quite a while to get to the outside as the building was gigantic. The couple huffed and puffed as they arrived at the outside. It was a barren desert wasteland out there with the view of the city in the horizon. The sky above them was cloudy and thundery, a telltale prediction that it was about to shower very soon. Signs of gladness appeared on the instructors' faces as a hovering taxi arrived in front of their footsteps.  
  
"We want to get to Times Plaza and fast!" Quistis ordered as she opened the trunk to store her backpack. She then turned to Xu who suddenly clutched her stomach while perspiration appeared like tiny beads on her forehead.  
  
"Don't worry about me," Xu insisted as she stopped rubbing her abdomen. "I'm fine. We got a race to move on."  
  
Looking out at the window, the instructors gaze in awe at the magnificent skyscrapers standing on every side of the highway. Sure it was not the first time they visit the megalopolis, but it had been a breathtaking sight as always. Their eyes sparkled once again as they peered in fascination at the enormity and eminence of the distinguishable monolith-shaped landmark poising nobly with its glittering scarlet complexion.  
  
"The Presidential Palace sure is beautiful today," Xu commented and then lulled into a short nap.  
  
***  
  
"Sir do you know how to operate this camera?" Squall asked blocking the way of an Estharian gentleman who soon ignored and walked away rudely. Squall was really outraged but he had to behave and maintain his composure anyhow.  
  
Finally, a teenage girl came to his aid. Without further ado, Squall took the picture of a billboard displaying a male model wearing a certain brand of jeans above him. "That's one, four more to go."  
  
Squall examined the other four pictures while he jogged along Kemplar Street. He was careless, not looking where he was going and eventually hit his head painfully on a sturdy lamppost. He was embarrassed when some of the pedestrians chuckled hysterically, while the others walked past him minding their own businesses.  
  
"Wait a minute," Squall spotted something familiar as he was struggled to rise to his feet. He looked down at the ground and compared the zigzag pattern on the pavement with the picture on his clue. They were totally alike!   
  
"Three more to go," he told himself after solving the second puzzle.  
  
***  
  
A repeated beeping sound was emitted after Raijin walked gingerly past the metal detector gate. He was terrified when two officers drew out their batons and started inspecting his body.   
  
"Sir, can you please check your pockets and remove any metallic objects?" a female officer said as she scrolled her baton-shaped detector towards his navel. Fujin slapped her forehead in embarrassment when Raijin giggled to the tickling sensation. Eventually, another beep emitted from the detector and the female office dug her hand into Raijin's left pocket to bring out a silver compass. The other officer shook his head and the both of them slapped Raijin on the back and tossed the compass at Fujin, who soon caught it neatly in her cupped hands.  
  
"You're free to go!" Raijin hurdled to Fujin's side to receive a light kick in the heel.   
  
Fujin's heart burned as the taxi took the duo to the edge of the city. The fury and wrath sparked hotly as the scarlet complexion of the Presidential Palace came into view.  
  
"CURSED CITY," she muttered with veins bulged on her forehead as she glared at the eyesore of the city. Frankly, everything in sight was an eyesore to her.  
  
"Aww... what's the matter honey?" Raijin tapped Fujin's shoulder. "I think Esthar's a nice place. Look at the tall..."  
  
Raijin's senses were instantly blacked out after Fujin punched him powerfully on the abdomen. The taxi driver felt a little threatened as he could see Raijin's body lying on the passenger's seat motionlessly.  
  
"HURRY!" Fujin hissed, ordering the driver to drive a little faster. "NO TIME TO LOSE!"  
  
***  
  
Quistis examined the meter near the driver's seat, with numbers rolling into a three-digit figure which was close to half of the team's budget.  
  
"Are we there yet?" Xu woke up with a yawn. She looked around to see the buildings around her, which looked frighteningly familiar. The roads also looked familiar and they did not expect to see the Presidential Palace coming into view once more.  
  
"Hey driver, are we going the right way?" Quistis asked doubtfully.  
  
"Of course I know where we're going. Now sit back and enjoy the ride," the driver insisted.  
  
"This doesn't sound right," Xu drew out the Esthar City Map from her pocket and examined every freeway, intersection and turnpike. It was a startling discovery when Quistis and Xu had already figured out the taxi driver's crummy plan.  
  
"I can't believe you're driving in circles!" Quistis exclaimed. "We're still at the edge of the city."  
  
"Fine," the driver choked. "I'll gladly take you there."  
  
After about thirty minutes, the taxi stopped and dropped the team at the side of the highway within the Golden Triangle vicinity. The taxi driver alighted from his vehicle along with Quistis and Xu and opened the trunk to dump their backpacks carelessly in front of them.  
  
"What are you trying to do?" Quistis demanded.  
  
"Now you've reached your destination, I demand my pay!" the taxi driver gave a sleazy grin and reached out his hand, waving his fingers back and forth. "375G please."  
  
"No I won't pay that amount of money since you wasted a lot of our time!" Quistis strongly argued. She suddenly felt a scratching sensation while Xu felt a weight removed from her pockets as the man ripped Quistis' Rolex off her wrist and pillaged Xu's purse. The two instructors chased after the man who managed to squeeze into his vehicle and sped off.  
  
"No our money!" Xu cried as tears trickled down her cheek.  
  
"Get back here you BASTARD!" Quistis tossed a steel bar into the air, hoping to hit the taxi but clattered uselessly at a few metres away from the team. "Man, I'm starting to abhor this city!"  
  
***  
  
"Do you know this picture?" Squall pointed at the yellow and blue picture of a stick-person at the pedestrian, who still ignored and walked away impolitely. Nevertheless, he did not give up and finally he received a somewhat positive answer.  
  
"I've seen this picture in Techno Dance Club, I think," a girl wearing a blouse with spagetthi straps and knee socks replied with uncertainty.   
  
Squall was now heading to the intersection about ten blocks away, asking directions along the way but was still given the cold shoulders. The discotheque was clearly the silver painted building at the intersection between Loire Boulevard and Broadway, about fifteen blocks away from the heart of the Golden Triangle. Lively and choppy disco music could be heard as he approached the building.  
  
"Hold it buster," a bald-headed bouncer in a white tuxedo suddenly appeared guarding the entrance like a sentinel. "We'll not open until after six."  
  
"I just want to take the picture of the ceiling," Squall calmly pleaded, waving his camera and pointing at the painted ceiling with yellow stick-people in dance movements on a red and blue background.  
  
"Make it quick," the sentinel allowed Squall to take a quick snapshot at the painting.  
  
"Phew now I've found all the pictures I better hurry back," Squall thought in his mind happily and began pacing into a brisk jog. "Rinoa must've been really impatient and worried. I hope she doesn't wander off buying me another leather jacket."  
  
***  
  
Quistis and Xu were now close to the tall cylindrical building. They then climbed wearily up the steps of the complex, and they could hear Rinoa whistling to herself on top of the stairs.  
  
"Well if it isn't the dirty little whore and her tramp," Rinoa muttered, giving Quistis and Xu a friendly hug when they finally arrived. Quistis knew Rinoa's clandestine demeanor and was always careful when dealing with her toughest competitor.  
  
"Rinoa you won't believe what happened to us," Xu exclaimed.   
  
"We've been robbed, unfortunately," Quistis added with a weak tone, crossing her arms below her breasts.  
  
"Well that's too bad," Rinoa grinned sleazily. "I know you want to borrow some money from us right? Well bad news is Squall owns the wallet and we're not giving away any," she emphasized with a serious tone. "It's a tight budget you know."  
  
"Well we're fine with that," Quistis smiled devilishly. "We don't need your pity anyway."  
  
Quistis turned to the clue box and grabbed an envelope while Xu picked up one of the cameras, which they assumed to be a vital tool for the next task.  
  
"Let's go Xu," Quistis said allowing Xu to lead her. She then turned around to Rinoa blowing a kiss. "We'll meet next time."  
  
"Huh!" Rinoa puffed and sat back on her seat, squinting at the tall blonde woman as she disappeared down the stairs. "Think you can go away easily?" she thought. "You'll learn a valuable lesson sooner or later Quisty!"  
  
A few minutes later, Squall appeared climbing up the stairs. Rinoa stood up to be embraced by her boyfriend as he arrived.  
  
"Are you okay?" Squall asked in concern.  
  
"I should be asking that ya know," Rinoa joked for a while but she began to worry as she pointed at the horizontally straight cut on his forehead. "That's a nasty bruise. Are you hurt?"  
  
"It's nothing," Squall assured trying not to reveal his folly. "Let's go in the plaza and get the clue."  
  
  
  
Squall pulled a small disk from the camera and inserted it into a slot of a photo-making machine. A series of options soon flashed on the screen. Squall pressed the screen a few times and eventually five processed photos slithered out of a slot one at a time.  
  
"Are these the correct photos?" Squall asked as he displayed all five photos to the female cashier. She then bent down and arose to hand over the clue as a mark of completion of the task.  
  
"Thanks," Squall immediately unraveled the envelope. "Walk to the next pit stop, the Dolletian Gardens in President's Park!"  
  
"Let's go!" Rinoa raised her arm into the air as the couple began running to outside. "Is it far from here?"  
  
"It's a few blocks away," Squall replied vehemently in singly utterances as he ran, with pedestrians walking in the opposite direction siding away allowing them to pass. "Don't worry, I know where it is. Just stick with me."  
  
"Please I need some money, it's an emergency!" Quistis pleaded to the pedestrians after she emerged from a shop, holding a sign in her hand. She turned to her left to see the backs of two familiar figures. "Dang, Squall even didn't notice me this time," she mumbled in irritation.  
  
A hint of green came into view as the couple was close approaching the parklands. The pigeons flocking around Laguna Loire's statue whisked away as Squall and Rinoa arrived at the heart of the large sprawling greenery surrounded by colossal manmade structures.   
  
"It's the pit stop!" Rinoa cheered pointing to the familiar figure expecting their arrival.  
  
"Big Sis!" Squall immediately embraced Ellone when he saw her smiling sweetly like the caring 'elder sister' she was meant to be.  
  
"How did we fare?" Rinoa asked straight to the point.  
  
"Good tidings," Cid began while Squall and Rinoa held hands. "Squall and Rinoa, you're team number 2!"  
  
"Yes," Ellone agreed. "Welcome back to Esthar, Squall."  
  
***  
  
"NEGATIVE!" Fujin denied firmly while Raijin sat back on the curb watching a squabble between the outraged one-eyed woman with the insidious taxi driver.  
  
"You have to face it," the taxi driver persuaded. "300G is considered standard."  
  
"LIES!" she hissed. "NO GOOD SON OF A BITCH!"  
  
"Well, if you insist," the taxi driver strode to his vehicle and immersed half of his body into the side of the car where the driver's seat should be. He emerged with a cellphone in his hand. "I'll call the police!" he threatened by dialing the first number of the police hotline.  
  
"RAGE!" she fumed, forcing the taxi driver to move his finger about to dial the second number.  
  
"Hold it!" Raijin neighed as he charged towards the man, pinning him down on the blue fibreglass surface of the road. The two men struggled as they wrestled to grasp the cellphone. Subsequently, Raijin overpowered the taxi driver and tossed the cellphone into the middle of the highway.  
  
"RUN!" Fujin immediately picked up her backpack and ran as far as they could away from the taxi driver, who was still peering at his mobile phone lying on the highway with speeding vehicles hovering over it.  
  
"Fujin!" Fujin could hear the voice of a woman's calling for her. She could see Quistis among the thick crowd begging for some money.  
  
"I'm sure glad you two are here," she started her explanation. "Our purse was stolen and we need some money."  
  
Fujin and Raijin turned to face each other staring momentarily, and then turned back to Quistis shaking their heads in unison.  
  
"PITY," Fujin uttered.  
  
"I'm sorry Quisty. We have to be frugal sometimes, ya know," replied Raijin, who soon walked away in a rushing state with Fujin by his side. Quistis turned around to look at the duo heading to the clue box, stomping her foot on the pavement in frustration.  
  
"I hope Xu's alright," she thought anxiously.  
  
***  
  
Seifer and Selphie were the last couple to arrive at the airport about four hours behind Daniel and Rachel. A trace of vehemence was found on both of their faces as they were whisked away by the city's subway system.  
  
"Wow I can't believe I'm riding the subway in the coolest city in the world!" Selphie cheered full with excitement, stretching her arms into the air.  
  
"Calm down or else you'll fall from your seat," said Seifer, who was sitting beside Selphie.  
  
"Seifer, have you seen Sir Laguna in person before?" Selphie asked with playfulness in her eyes, which was replied harshly by a piercing look. She then reverted back to peer at the shiny surface of the floor. "Forget it," she muttered glumly.  
  
The couple finally arrived at their destination, which had cars and other vehicles jamming every street corner as it was about to be a rush hour. The sky above them was darkened into a gloomy and miserable state. Rain should fall pretty soon. Selphie tried to discipline herself from creating another outburst, hoping to please Seifer, as they lightly jogged along the crowded street to get to the eminent plaza.  
  
"Take pictures?" Selphie said exuberantly. "I wanna do it!"  
  
Fujin soon appeared from the top of the steps, giving Seifer a hostile impression as she began to sit beside him for a little company. Quistis was the next person to appear. Coming from the bottom of the stairs, she dipped her hand into her pocket where she safeguarded the money, while her face had a trace of anxiety and depression.  
  
"Seifer, have you seen Xu?" she asked.  
  
***  
  
"Sir!" Xu ran to catch up with a tourist walking away. The tourist stopped on his tracks turning his attention to a fair-skinned woman with straight hair flowing to her shoulders. "May I ask you a question?" she said showing the top left picture clearly in front of the tourist's eyes. "Do you know where I can find this place?"  
  
"Yeah I've seen this in a shop back there," the tourist pointed to the shops along the pavement before her.  
  
Xu thought she had thoroughly inspected the part of the street the tourist pointed definitely. But she found out she was wrong, as she stepped into a shop selling electronic goods she had never seen before. Names of brands were emblazoned on plastic signs hanging down from the ceiling. And one of them in particular was a perfectly fit to the picture showing only a small part of the sign.  
  
Xu happily walked out of the shop, as she was about to complete the task. She sauntered along the street and did not want to miss looking at the splendor of each building with its individual uniqueness. Subsequently, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach and her senses blurring away, causing her to crouch as she squirmed to the intense pain in her abdomen.   
  
"No, why does it have to start now?" she whined, with her hand pushing onto a sturdy pillar as a support to bring herself up. The pain grew more excruciating and unbearable after every small step she took. Her forehead began to perspire greatly as well. "I can't give up yet!" she said to herself full of determination, taking every step one at a time as she struggled to reach to the drinking fountain a few feet away, but it was the burning and corrosive sensation, which gradually diminished her will power.  
  
Xu finally laid her hands on the fountain, looking like a beaten up rag doll. Without ado, she fished out her only pill from her pocket and popped it into her mouth. The bitterness of the medicine wafted around her tongue as she accidentally chewed the rubbery capsule, but was washed away by a jet of cool refreshing water splashing directly into her mouth. Xu smeared the moisture around the lips on her sleeve. Slouching on the bench, she could feel the pain slowly dissipating and her senses anaesthetized as she slowly dropped into temporary unconsciousness.   
  
***  
  
Agony raced through Quistis' veins as wondered anxiously and impatiently about Xu's whereabouts, more than she worried about the team's lacking budget. On the other hand, Seifer and Fujin turned their heads away from each other, brooding in deep silence. The effects of the race had taken its toll as it caused the strong relationship between Seifer and the duo to be in disharmony.  
  
"Quistis!" Xu climbed up the stairs as she waved her hand at Quistis. The anxiety within Quistis was immediately cleared away when she gave a warm hug to her partner.  
  
"Why did you take so long?" she asked.  
  
"It's a long story," said Xu, who then trailed Quistis into the plaza.  
  
Seifer and Fujin were now starting to feel the intensity growing between them. The both of them slowly turned their heads to the other side and eventually met each other with vengeful eye contact.   
  
"BRACE YOURSELF," Fujin stood up to her feet suddenly and posed into her attacking stance. Seifer then followed to stand straightly, but his gesture looked a little cooler and sleazier instead.  
  
"You still can't forgive me, can you?" he taunted with his arms outwards on his sides. Fujin tightened her grip, as she could not forget the humiliation she alleged that Seifer brought to her and Raijin. The people around the vicinity began to circle around the two with watchful eyes, while some tried to provoke them into a duel.  
  
"Fujin!" Raijin squeezed his way through the crowd just to meet Fujin. He tilted his head to the left signaling Fujin to return to her usual posture. The crowd was disappointed when Fujin and Raijin headed into the plaza to continue the race instead of continuing their duel with their former leader.  
  
A few minutes later, while Seifer was sulking glumly by himself, Raijin could be seen flying out of the main entrance and tumbled down the stairs towards the street, startling the pedestrians as he rose to his feet unscathed but feeling pain in the joints. Fujin then slowly surfaced from the building with the glass doors withdrawing into an opening due to her presence. She was frustrated and disappointed at the same time as Raijin failed the task. She never even gave a cheer of support to her partner unlike other teams. But it had been in her favour as Raijin was a devoted person who would do anything to his superior, no matter the circumstance.  
  
This time Fujin approached and sat beside him calmly with no intention whatsoever. Seifer seemed gloomy and desperate at the same time, denoted by the lack of ego, confidence and integrity he had shown upon waiting.  
  
"What are you thinking of?" Fujin asked in her normal tone at Seifer whose head was sulking in between his legs, notwithstanding she knew his demeanor.  
  
"Come to think of it," Seifer answered as he raised his head and engaged eye contact with Fujin. "Why do I need you two anyway?" he said critically. "Besides I can manage on my own."  
  
Fujin felt heartbroken and disheartened when she listened to Seifer. She wanted to punch Seifer right in the face and end their friendship. Nevertheless, she kept her cool since this was the time when Seifer gets too desperate to fulfil his ambitions. He had always been loyal, trustworthy and selfless, NO! he was always selfish all the time, but this time it had gone as far as if history was repeating itself.  
  
Fujin just walked away from Seifer peacefully. Almost thirty minutes later, Fujin could see Raijin coming back, feeling rejoiced as the both of them reentered the complex. However, it added the agony on Seifer, although Selphie managed to finish the task at the same time as Raijin.  
  
"Seifer!" Selphie yelled her lungs out as she rigorously climbed up the stairs to meet Seifer. The couple immediately took off, hoping to catch up with the duo.  
  
"Is Snap Photos this way?" Seifer asked while the person pointed to the direction away from the escalator. Seifer and Selphie found themselves in a crammed hallway with shops on both sides of the corridor. They could see the yellow sign from afar, but they were unpleased when Fujin and Raijin came out of the shop with happy faces, holding their new clue in one's hand. It was a tense moment when Selphie was figuring out a way to operate the machine. Her five snapshots were finally developed and immediately fanned them to the person behind the counter.  
  
"Please, please, please!" Selphie repeated with an antsy feeling to it. "Can we get our clue now?"  
  
The girl examined the photos and smiled in affirmation. She tossed the envelope to the couple while they both of them tabbed a five-gil note on the counter in return.  
  
"Keep the change," Seifer told the girl and soon paced into a mad dash.  
  
"I see the park, ya know!" Raijin referred to the green landscape after the rows of buildings. Their legs felt sore and stiff while their feet felt hot and sweaty, but it was not the time to pause and take a breather as they had a pit stop to catch up.  
  
"YES!" Fujin stomped on the mat with her arms in the air, while releasing a sigh of relief. The both of them were utterly exhausted as they could barely stand on their feet and walk anymore.  
  
"Fujin and Raijin, it has been a close call," Cid smirked. "You're team number four and you're qualified to continue the race."  
  
Selphie and Seifer were the next team to arrive at the pit stop. Instead of seeing a plain and calm expression on Cid Kramer, they were greeted gloomily. Rain began to drizzle over the city, and the first lightning struck when the couple found out that they were only a few minutes behind Fujin and Raijin, resulting them to be the last team to arrive. Tears flowed heavily down Selphie's cheeks upon hearing the verdict.  
  
"I know it has been a long day," Cid began, brightening up the situation. "But the good news is you're not eliminated as this is a non-elimination round."  
  
"Oh that's so sweet," Selphie released a sigh of relief and stopped mourning, while receiving a hug and a pat on the back by Ellone.  
  
Five teams are left to face an all elimination race in the next twelve hours. Daniel and Rachel - the two youngest competitors of the race but are a force to be reckoned with youth and ingenuity as their prime advantage. Squall and Rinoa - another favorable team since the both of them have the ability to predict and possess invaluable traveling experience. Quistis and Xu - the only all-female team that possesses an unbreakable determination to prove that they are unlikely to be quitters. Fujin and Raijin - considered as the luckiest team since they barely escaped elimination despite having hefty penalties. Their feud with Seifer still continues and the question is will it disfavor them? Seifer and Selphie - an unlikely combination as the both of them have opposite interests. They were underestimated by others but surprised them by gushing to the point of the race where the climax is intense.  
  
Squall and Rinoa, and Quistis and Xu still have their Fast Forward bonus available. It is plain to see that nothing can stop them from outdoing each other nail and tooth to grasp the ultimate reward. However, only three will be qualified for the final part of the race. Who will be the next team to be eliminated? 


End file.
